As part of the COP27 currently taking place in Egypt, Stefano Boeri presented the latest “Dubai Vertical Forest” project. The first prototype for the MENA region is intended to address the aspect of sustainable urban planning.

A recent UN report indicates that the world is on the verge of an irreversible climate collapse. This is because the target set by COP 2015 in Paris of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees seems a long way off. Accordingly, the pressure is on for this year’s COP27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. So from November 6 to 18, 2022, all the participants in the annual UN climate conference are working toward achieving the climate targets after all. One of them is Stefano Boeri. At the Italian Pavilion in the Blue Zone yesterday, the architect and the Italian Ministry of the Environment spoke about the importance of green and sustainable urban planning in the face of climate change. During this COP27 panel discussion, Boeri presented a new project – Dubai Vertical Forest.

2,640 trees, 27,600 shrubs and a water cycle.

The project will consist of two towers: one 190 meters high, the other 150 meters high. Enough area to include 2,640 trees, 27,600 shrubs and a system of greenhouses and hydroponic gardens. Stefano Boeri Architetti focused their design particularly on the management of the water cycle through desalination processes and the recovery of gray water. Photovoltaic surfaces, meanwhile, will generate 5,100 kWh of clean energy. This renewable energy will be stored in hydrogen batteries and will also power processes associated with the water cycle.

How this will ultimately function in a sustainable and climate-oriented manner remains to be seen. After all, planning two high-rise buildings that require a lot of water for a water-scarce region is questionable for the time being.

Prototype Dubai Vertical Forest

Vertical Forest in Dubai is to be the first prototype of a vertical forest for the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). According to the Italian firm, the goal is to “combine the benefits of urban forestry, such as the absorption of particulate matter, the regulation of the microclimate and the reduction of the greenhouse effect, with innovations in the management of the water system in arid climates and the optimization of energy production from renewable sources.”
Stefano Boeri Architetti are known for their green architecture. Award-winning and pioneering vertical forests is their project completed in Milan in 2014 – the Bosco Verticale. The two apartment towers, 119 and 87 meters high, house around 730 trees and 20,000 plants.