The Bosco Verticale, located in the Isola district of Milan, utilizes two skyscrapers of 112 and 80 meters to host 800 trees and thousands of shrubs within their facades. Stefano Boeri, an Italian architect and urban planner born in 1956, designed this project to integrate biodiversity into high-density urban residential environments.
Academic and Research Background
Boeri graduated from the Polytechnic University of Milan with a degree in architecture in 1980. He earned a PhD in Urban Planning from the IUAV University of Venice in 1989. Currently, he holds the position of full professor of urban design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. His research extends to international institutions, including visiting professorships at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, and the Strelka Institute in Moscow. At Tongji University in Shanghai, he leads the Future City Lab.
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Beyond his academic duties, Boeri served as the Councillor for Culture, Fashion and Design for the City of Milan between 2011 and 2013. In 2016, the Italian government appointed him as an expert urban planning consultant for territories affected by the earthquake in Central Italy. He acts as the president of the Milan Triennale, a role he has held since 2018, and serves as commissioner for the 2025 International Exhibition focusing on inequalities. Additionally, he leads the Forestami Project, which aims to plant 3 million trees in the Milan metropolitan area by 2030.
Practice and Green Obsession
In 1999, Boeri co-founded Boeri Studio with Gianandrea Barreca and Giovanni LaVarra. He later established Stefano Boeri Architetti in 2011, opening offices in Milan, Tirana, and Shanghai. His firm utilizes a design philosophy termed Green Obsession, which emphasizes the integration of living vegetation into urban architecture to improve air quality and biodiversity. This approach earned the firm a UN SDGs Action Award in 2023. His work includes master plans and regeneration projects for cities such as Cairo, São Paulo, Moscow, and Riyadh.
Fast facts
- Born: 1956, Milan
- Education: Polytechnic University of Milan, IUAV University of Venice
- Notable Project: Bosco Verticale
- Firm: Stefano Boeri Architetti
- Role: President, Milan Triennale
- Award: UN SDGs Action Award 2023
- Focus: Urban forestry and biodiversity
Questions readers ask
What is the Green Obsession approach?
It is a design methodology focusing on integrating living vegetation into urban spaces at various scales to address environmental and climate challenges.
Where does Stefano Boeri practice architecture?
His firm, Stefano Boeri Architetti, operates offices in Milan, Tirana, and Shanghai.
Achievements
- Notable work: Bosco Verticale
- Trained at Polytechnic University of Milan
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