BY: NADIA ZAIDI
With over 1.3 billion inhabitants, China is the most populated country in the world.
It also has one of the highest rates of pollution due to its densely industrialized cities. Factories, power plants, and vehicle emissions are some of the biggest stressors on its environment and population.
A State of Global Air 2017 report found that nearly 1.1 million people died from air pollution in China in 2015.
But when you’re living in a place where the number of people far exceeds the space to accommodate them, where and how do you build treatment facilities?
The answer is sky high.
A new project in the city of Nanjing’s Pukou District will see the implementation of vertical forests built in the form of two towers filled with thousands of trees and shrubs.
Nanjing currently has an air quality index of 167, which is categorized as poor. In comparison to New York, which has an air quality index of around 60, it’s suffice to say that more oxygen is necessary to sustain healthy living conditions.
The Nanjing Vertical Forest, formally called the Nanjing Green Towers, will have 1,100 trees, and 2,500 other plants and shrubs which are expected to provide 60 kilograms of oxygen a day. It will absorb over 25 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
The man behind the plan is Italian architect Stefano Boeri. He’s following the existing prototype of green-covered towers in Milan, Italy.
The leafy towers will be inundated with greenery, but they won’t only be home to an abundance of green life.
The taller tower will house an amalgamation of amenities including a museum, club, and even an architect school. It will stand at 200 metres high and accommodate 35 floors.
The other will be over 100 metres tall and serve as a Hyatt hotel with around 250 guest rooms, shops, restaurants and a rooftop swimming pool.
The towers, which are scheduled for completion in 2018, will be filled with greenery that is compatible with China’s local climate.
