Construction has been completed in Utrecht on Wonderwoods Vertical Forest—a unique complex with open green gardens and terraces, offices, shops, and housing built into the architecture of a vertical forest. It is the second vertical forest project in the Netherlands that includes public spaces and mixed use. Designed by Italian architect Stefano Boeri, the project has already won the MIPIM award—one of the leading international real-estate prizes—as the “most useful and sustainable project.”
Wonderwoods includes two towers, 104 m and 70 m tall. Their façades feature 360 trees and 50,000 shrubs and plants, an amount described as equivalent to one hectare of forest. The greenery helps clean the air, reduce dust, and lower temperatures around the building and on the terraces in summer, while in winter it helps retain warmth—turning the building into a kind of living climate system. A rainwater collection system supports irrigation for the plants and reduces the load on city water networks.
Stefano Boeri is known for creating vertical forests, starting with the famous Bosco Verticale in Milan. Projects like these become a living part of the city, changing with the seasons and setting a new standard for urban life—where nature and dense development can coexist.
