Nature and Biodiversity

Paris is getting a 'White Forest' tower that will feature 2,000 trees and shrubs

General view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau - RC11A8019B30

Construction of a 177-foot-tall tower is expected to start soon in Villiers-sur-Marne. Image: REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Leanna Garfield
Innovation Reporter, Tech Insider

Construction on a greenery-covered tower, designed by the Italian firm Stefano Boeri Architetti, will soon start in the Parisian suburb of Villiers-sur-Marne.

On the outside, 2,000 trees, plants, and shrubs will fill the building's facade, roof, and balconies. Inside, the building will feature luxury apartments, offices, and retail.

Called Forêt Blanche ("White Forest"), the 177-foot-tall tower will have ample windows for natural sunlight and views of the city. Most of its facade will be made of wood.

The apartments, which include balconies, will be located on the high floors, while offices and shops will be on the lower floors.

The firm told Business Insider in an email that plans are moving forward on its construction, though there is no set timeline just yet.

Image: Stefano Boeri Architetti

Stefano Boeri Architetti is known for its plant-heavy architecture. In June, the company announced that it would build a "forest city" in Liuzhou, China by 2020 that's made up of towers covered in 40,000 trees and nearly 1 million plants. The skyscraper designs will be similar to the two-tower complex that Boeri designed in Nanjing. Developers are building other Boeri towers in Lausanne, Switzerland and Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Like these projects, Forêt Blanche aims to make the city a little more green.

Have you read?

The tower aims to go "beyond the concept of green as just a simple decoration — an architectural structure that take up the challenge of fighting climate change and increasing biodiversity in urban contexts," the architects wrote.

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