Egypt to Become Home of African Continent’s First Vertical Forest
The new administrative capital, located about 48 km east of Cairo in the desert, is set to have 30m-by-30m cube-shaped apartment buildings covered in plants to absorb pollution. Designed by the Italian architect, Stefano Boeri, the project will be the only one of its kind in the region. The three seven-story buildings will be home to over 350 trees and 100 species which will detoxify the air in hopes of a greener Cairo.
The Italian architecture firm, Stefano Boeri Architetti, has built many vertical forests throughout the world. Their 19-story vertical forest in Netherlands is one of their most recognized works.
Boeri chose Egypt as the first country in Africa to build such a complex. One of the buildings will serve as a hotel, and the other two will apartment complexes perfect for eco-conscious residents away.
The many advantages of the vertical forests is that they take up less space in cities and their pollution absorbing plants can sequester up to 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. By 2025, the UN expects that 68 percent of the world population will be moving into urban areas.
