A vertical forest growing in the Netherlands: in pictures | Environment | The Guardian

Earlier this year, a new, mixed-use building opened in the heart of Utrecht, Netherlands. Photograph: Judith Jockel/The Guardian Wonderwoods Vertical Forest in the city’s Beurskwartier area brings new housing, office space and an estimated hectare of vertical forest to the area. Photograph: Judith Jockel/The Guardian Designed by Stefano Boeri Architects and MVSA Architects, it’s the newest of many vertical forests cropping up in cities around the world. Photograph: Judith Jockel/The Guardian This style of building can absorb carbon dioxide, reduce air pollution and provide a cooling effect, both in shady outdoor spaces and in the interiors. Photograph: Judith Jockel/The Guardian These green spaces also support plant and animal biodiversity. Here, a ‘bug hotel’ provides a space for insects to shelter and lay eggs. Photograph: Judith Jockel/The Guardian Stefano Boeri architects built its first vertical forest, or Bosco Verticale, a decade ago in the Milan district of Porta Nuova. Photograph: Audrius Venclova/Alamy Since then, towers that incorporate greenery have gone up in cities around the world. Pictured: Trudo Vertical Forest, a low-income housing complex in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Photograph: Frans Lemmens/Alamy Wonderwoods is Boeri’s first vertical forest to feature spaces accessible to the public, including outdoor gardens. ‘It’s really a part of
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