Cairo, Egypt has been announced as the site for Africa's first vertical woods, with construction set to begin next year, according to Lonely Planet — following a trend of other large-scale green architecture projects, which have been taking root in major cities like Singapore, Sydney and Nanjing.
The Italian-based firm, Stefano Boeri Architetti, is behind the Egyptian proposal, with construction set to begin in 2020, and end in 2022. The design consists of three green buildings — a hotel and two apartment blocks — that will be covered with an estimated 350 trees and 1400 evergreen shrubs.
According to the design firm, they'll produce about 8 tonnes of oxygen every year — part of a vision for a "greener Cairo" that will reduce pollution and create shade for local wildlife.