stefano boeri's residential complex in milan blooms with planted terraces

Stefano Boeri’s Bosconavigli is now under construction

Stefano Boeri Architetti and Arassociati break ground on ‘Bosconavigli’, a verdant residential complex in the San Cristoforo district in Milan. Created in collaboration with AG&P greenscape, the result sees a staggered design that maximizes the use of open spaces and creates a dialogue with the surrounding context. The design team sought to obscure the boundaries between artificial and natural, developing a typology with numerous terraces, hanging gardens, and loggias that allow plants to grow freely, turning the foliage into an integrated part of the facade. Through this continuous and ever-changing rhythm, the final result seeks to welcome a new way of living in the urban network that centers on well-being. The residential project involves the construction of a courtyard in its core that guarantees privacy without compromising its relation with the urban context. Located in a former industrial area, the complex will act as a portal between the city and the river area of Ticino and the Naviglio di Porta Ticinese. Bosconavigli unfolds around a spacious courtyard open to the public | all images by Level Creative Studio, Echoo Studio

an irregular rhythm of densely planted balconies

The Bosconavigli residential complex by Stefano Boeri Architetti (see more here) and Arassociati (see more here), and AG&P greenscape (more here) encourages the integration between living nature and architecture. Settled among the highly-built fabric of the city and one of its historic districts, the synthesis celebrates the reforestation of its urban context. A system of greenery comprising 170 trees of 60 different species, together with shrubs and climbing plants, embraces the facade, which is developing in a progressive variation of heights that optimizes views and natural light. On the ground floor, a series of flows and paths, interaction spots, and decks engage locals and visitors in sports and recreational activities. Thanks to the numerous entrances via San Cristoforo, people from other neighborhoods can easily enter the public facilities located on the first level, which include a double-height restaurant-bistro and a wellness service with a swimming pool, gym, and sauna.

The ‘Bosconavigli’ hosts 90 apartments, each of them spanning between 45 to over 300 square meters. All the flats, independent of their size, accommodate large outdoor spaces that double as an extension of the living space. The lush vegetation creates an interplay of solids and voids, designed to protect the interior from summer sun rays and favor winter ones. Moreover, the irregular system of balconies, in combination with the greenery, acts as a buffer against noise and air pollution. The design employs bioclimatic strategies, thanks to the integration of technological systems capable of optimizing the building’s energy and environmental sustainability. These see the use of solar and photovoltaic panels on the roof, the collection, and recovery of rainwater, and the production of geothermal energy.

blooming plants will modify the view of the facade depending on the season

Together with the projects of Ca’delle Alzaie in Treviso and Palazzo Verde in Anversa, both designed by Stefano Boeri, Bosconavigli revises the prototype of Bosco Verticale di Milano in a low-density key.

shrubs and plants are a natural barrier to noise pollution and fine dust