Italian architect Stefano Boeri has designed a vertical forest tower for Tirana, Albania, which will be planted with colourful and scented flowers and herbs.

Named the Tirana Vertical Forest, the tower with a glass facade punctuated with fragrant planted balconies will be one of Stefano Boeri Architetti's signature vertical forest towers.

Vertical forests are buildings that are planted with trees, shrubs and flowers to increase the green surface area in cities and improve local air quality. Stefano Boeri Architetti specialise in these green facades, and has designed towers in cities such as Milan, Utrecht and Nanjing.

Careful attention has been paid to the kind of plants that will grow in the balconies and terraces of the Tirana Vertical Forest.

"Tirana is a Mediterranean capital, which is why we have chosen different essences typical of this particular ecosystem for the first Albanian Vertical Forest," said landscape architect Laura Gatti.

"Shrubs characterised by a very vivid green colour and brightly coloured flowers in yellow and violet," will be planted along the building, as well scented plants and herbs such as myrtle and rosemary.

The facade of the apartment block will be planted with 3,200 shrubs and bushes, as well 145 trees. Stefano Boeri Architetti claims this will create 550 square metres of green surface for Tirana.

Plants naturally absorb CO2 and fine particles that pollute the atmosphere in cities, giving out oxygen and creating microclimates that can be healthier for residents.

The Tirana Vertical Forest, which will be a residential building, will have one blind facade and three covered in greenery said the architects, opening "like a flower" towards landmarks such as Mother Teresa Square.

Floor-to-ceiling windows will provide maximum views of the city through the plants growing on its balconies.

"We have worked on the theme of the facade, overturning the convention in which the main facade of each building is the longest, and completely opening the short side of this new Vertical Forest towards the city," said architect and Stefano Boeri Architetti project director Francesca Cesa Bianchi.

The tower will be 21 storeys high and house 105 apartments. It will also include four underground levels and the ground floor will have spaces for shops.

Stefano Boeri is building several other buildings in Tirana, including an office block that will resemble a multifaceted golden cube, and three schools that will double as 24-hour community hubs.

Project credits:

Project architect: Stefano Boeri ArchitettiPartner: Stefano Boeri
Project director: Francesca Cesa Bianchi
Project leader: Paolo Russo
Team: Daniele Barillari, Jacopo Colatarci, Elisa Versari, Andrea Zucchi Botanic consultant: Studio Laura Gatti
Engineering consultant: SCE Project
MEP consultant: ESA engineering
Executive design: SCE Project
Structural engineer: LEAL-CSE
Hydraulic system design: Artan Dersha
Mechanical system design: Gener 2, Diana Brahaj
Electrical system design: Zavalani Consulting
Fire protection system design: Artan Dersha
Client and local architect: Gener 2