Switzerland plans to build 117m high 'vertical forest'

With nearly 25,000 trees covering its exterior, La Tour des Cedres tower resembles a vertical forest growing high above.

According to Gizmag, Italian firm Stefano Boeri was chosen to design a "vertical forest" for the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. The tower will be covered in greenery and incorporate sustainable technology such as solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system.

Named La Tour des Cedres or The Cedar Tower, the vertical forest will stand 117 metres high and cover more than 3,000 square metres of land. It will be home to 100 cedar trees, 6,000 shrubs and 18,000 other plant species.

In addition to the massive greenery, the mixed-use project includes 36 floors of luxury apartments, office space, and a 5,000-square-meter shopping center. The top floor is dedicated to a panoramic restaurant. The exterior of the building is made up of concrete planters with overhanging beams. These planters are directly attached to the tower’s load-bearing concrete frame.

La Tour des Cedres will feature solar panels, ground-source heat pumps and a rainwater harvesting system, reducing the building’s dependence on grid electricity. Construction is expected to begin in 2017.

According to VnExpress