Stefano Boeri Architetti to Build Forêt Blanche Vertical Forest in Paris

Stefano Boeri Architetti (SBA) has announced the Forêt Blanche, a new vertical forest tower in Villiers-sur-Marne, eastern Paris, as part of the Balcon sur Paris development plan. The 54-meter wooden structure will host 2,000 trees, shrubs, and plants across its facades, equating to one hectare of forest—ten times the building's footprint. It will feature mixed use: upper floors for residences, lower floors for offices and retail, with terraces and balconies on all four sides. The project follows SBA's success in Utrecht, where a 90-meter vertical forest tower with 10,000 plants is set to absorb 5.4 tons of CO2 annually, and includes a Vertical Forest Hub research center. The Forêt Blanche is part of the larger Inventons la Métropole du Grand Paris competition, which includes twelve new buildings by architects such as Kengo Kuma & Associates, Oxo Architectes, KOZ Architectes, Michael Green Architecture, and X-TU. The masterplan for the Marne Europe site was designed by Atelier Paul Arène and James Corner Field Operations, the latter known for New York's High Line. The first vertical forest, Bosco Verticale, opened in Milan on October 13, 2014.