Following an architectural competition, Italy's Stefano Boeri has been given the nod to design a "vertical forest" for Lausanne, Switzerland. The novel tower will be dominated by greenery and boast some sustainable technology, including solar power and rainwater collection.
If La Tour des Cedres (or Cedar Trees Tower) looks familiar, that's because it features a very similar design language to Boeri's previous award-winning Milan-based Bosco Verticale. Described as a vertical forest by the architect, it will rise to a total height of 117 m (383 ft) and boast over 3,000 sq m (32,291 sq ft) of greenery, including 100 cedar trees, 6,000 shrubs, and 18,000 plants – at least some of which will be local to the area.
The mixed-use project will comprise 36 floors of luxury apartments, office spaces, and a 5,000 sq m (53,819 sq ft) retail center. The highest floor will be given over to a panoramic restaurant. Its Jenga-like exterior comprises cantilevered concrete planters and loggia. These are being developed by engineering firm BuroHappold as prefabricated units that connect directly to the tower's reinforced concrete frame.
La Tour des Cedres will boast some sustainable tech, including solar panels, ground source heat pumps and a rainwater collection system, which will no doubt lower the amount of grid-based energy the building requires to operate.
However, as TreeHugger's Lloyd Alter argues, with the significant amount of reinforced concrete required to safely house all that greenery so high up, it's debatable whether the building can really be considered sustainable in any meaningful sense.
DesignBoom reports that La Tour des Cedres is due to begin construction in 2017.
Sources: Stefano Boeri Architetti, BuroHappold, La Tours des Cedres
