More than 8 million people live in the Eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. It is the capital city of the Jiangsu province and is part of the Yangtze River delta region. A unique construction project is in underway in the city that visionaries hope will be the beginning of a green city.
The Nanjing Green Towers will be completed soon. The towers were designed Stefano Boeri who designed the vertical forest of Milan. 800 trees and 2500 cascading plants will be built into the two 35 story structures. The buildings will house residents, a museum and floors 8-35 will be dedicated to office space.
The idea is a structure that will both absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. It is estimated that the Green Towers will “18 tonnes of CO2 absorption and will produce about 16,5 tonnes of Oxygen per year.” (SOURCE)
The idea of a “Forest City” is the product of Stefano Boeri Architetti (SBA). They envision a city that is environmentally friendly and can combat its own pollution. Electric rail will hopefully replace traditional commute systems and significantly reduce pollution. (SOURCE)
Other Chinese cities targeted for similar structures include Shijiazhuang, Lishui, Liuzhou, Guizhou, Shanghai, and Chongqing. (SOURCE)