1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Milano
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Il Giardino Verticale
Short description of the intervention
This vertical garden was created with the aim to integrate the shopping mall in the surrounding green. A total of 44.000 plants of 200 different species were used on a surface of 1.262 square meters, making it the largest living wall in the world (now in Italy) at the time it was created. The green wall has met large positive response both by the owners of the shopping mall, who noticed a decrease in their energy expenses, and by local residents, who can appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the wall and breathe fresher and cleaner air. (2,3)
Address

Via Eugenio Curiel, 25,
20089 Milano
Italy

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
NBS area
1262.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Building
Website of the intervention
https://fiordaliso.net/giardino-verticale/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2009
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2010
End date of the intervention
2010
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
The intervention aimed at making the façade of the building better integrated to the green spaces in the neighbourhood in Southern Milan, while assessing the air quality issues the big city is currently facing thanks to the carbon-sequestration service plants could offer (2).
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Monitoring indicators defined in the project are water used for the irrigation system and fertilisation/nutrients needed for the plants (1, 3 and 7).
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change mitigation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Climate change mitigation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Sequester and store carbon
Reduce energy demand, with the use of renewables or energy efficiency improvements
Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Implementation activities
"Over 44,000 plants were grown to cover the façade of the shopping center. Each of the plants took root in supported sections that were assembled like a big structure of LEGOS, fitting together to create a sturdy system that could be easily irrigated and taken care of. The plants snuggle together in metal containers that allow the roots to thrive. Although a little more expensive than traditional vertical gardens, Bollani’s metal container system makes for easier care." (1).
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green walls or facades
Type of Green Wall
Substrate / soil-based living wall
Vegetation Type
Flower beds
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Viewing and outlook points
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Carbon storage/sequestration
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Private sector/Corporate/Company
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The project is the work of architect Francesco Bollani, in collaboration with a Montpellier architecture studio and Peverelli company (3).
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Private sector or company
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Private sector or company
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
No
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
Voluntary initiative modifying the infrastructural appearance of the building (2 and 3).
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
plants (1, 3 and 7)
vertical gardens (1)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The architect went to Montpellier to find inspiration by looking at the French way of building vertical gardens. However, he had to modify several details in the structure and the choice of plants, as he needed to make sure the selected species would survive being held in vertical position in the climate of Milan (7).
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
No
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknwon
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Corporate investment
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Risk reduction model
Green densification model
Green health model
Please specify other environmental impact
The shopping mall owners noticed a decrease in their heating and cooling expenses, thanks to the insulation service provided by the vertical wall. (1,2)
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
It was declared the world’s largest green living wall by the Guiness Book of World Records in 2012, now it is the largest living wall in Italy (1).
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The green wall beats out Patrick Blanc’s living wall in Madrid, which formerly held the title of World’s Largest Vertical Garden, at 9,084 square feet (1).
The originality of the project is in the wise alternate combination of evergreens and flowering plants, allowing the spectator to follow the changing of seasons, witnessing a small natural spectacle of chromatic metamorphosis, shimmering in a few meters from bright green to white to intense red (3).
The architect went to Montpellier to find inspiration by looking at the French way of building vertical gardens. However, he had to modify several details in the structure and the choice of plants, as he needed to make sure the selected species would survive being held in vertical position in the climate of Milan (7).
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Environmental quality
Improved waste management
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Reduced risk of damages by drought
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Other
Description of environmental benefits
This action was conducted by a private company so final reports have not been made public. Even so, it was mentioned on the website of the intervention that the NBS extended on one single wall and included the application of 44.000 plants of 200 different species. "The colourful garden stretches over the walls of the mall, spanning a whopping 1.262 square meter". (1,2)
The originality of the project is in the wise alternate combination of evergreens and flowering plants, allowing the spectator to follow the changing of seasons, witnessing a small natural spectacle of chromatic metamorphosis, shimmering in a few meters from bright green to white to intense red (3).

This project also gains value in compliance with the principle of reversibility, synonymous with total ecosystem. The plant wall was designed to be easily dismantled and reused as composting, while steel structures can be recycled. The vertical garden is also innovative in the complex control and irrigation management system developed. Thanks to the great water retention capacity of the ground, which can hold water up to ten times its weight, it is possible to guarantee an essential resource even at high temperatures, while microscope water dispensers, also present in agricultural crops, allow considerable water savings. The wall also shows an interesting fertilization device, which, through the channeling system, allows to distribute and nourish each plant with the most suitable fertilizer for the season. For example, in spring, fertilizer is enriched with nitrogen to support flowering, while in summer it increases the amount of potassium, indicated for both autumn flowering and to fortify plants in view of stormy winter temperatures. The application of the most modern remote control and maintenance technology, with a modem connected directly to the tanks, reduces manual on-site during spring and june as projections of the most stressful seasonal changes (3).
Economic impacts
Reduce financial cost for urban management
Please specify other socio-cultural impact
originality: The originality of the project is in the wise alternate combination of evergreens and flowering plants, allowing the spectator to follow the changing of seasons, witnessing a small natural spectacle of chromatic metamorphosis, shimmering in a few meters from bright green to white to intense red (3).
It was declared the world’s largest green living wall by the Guiness Book of World Records in 2012, now it is the largest living wall in Italy (1).

Description of economic benefits
The application of the most modern remote control and maintenance technology, with a modem connected directly to the tanks, reduces manual on-site during spring and june as projections of the most stressful seasonal changes (3).
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Increased appreciation for natural spaces
Other
Description of social and cultural benefits
The NBS did not produce reports regarding the impacts however residents showed positive reactions to the noise reduction impact of the wall, as well as the fresher air they can now breathe while appreciating the beauty of the colourful plants, according to the website of the intervention (1 and 2).
It was declared the world’s largest green living wall by the Guiness Book of World Records in 2012, now it is the largest living wall in Italy (1).; The green wall beats out Patrick Blanc’s living wall in Madrid, which formerly held the title of World’s Largest Vertical Garden, at 9,084 square feet (1).

Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
No impacts reported
Indicators
NBS extended on one single wall and included the application of 44.000 plants of 200 different species. "The colourful garden stretches over the walls of the mall, spanning a whopping 1.262 square meter". (1,2)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Environmental quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Positive distribution of NBS benefits
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of September 9, 2020.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Special sensors are attached to the plants, allowing remote monitoring of water and nutrient levels to guarantee the healthy state of the plants (1, 3 and 7). The application of the most modern remote control and maintenance technology, with a modem connected directly to the tanks, reduces manual on-site during spring and june as projections of the most stressful seasonal changes (3).
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Overview of the green wall
NBS webpage
NBS description
Guinnes World Record
Italy's largest green wall
Vertical garden
Interview to the designing architect
List of references
1. Inhabitat (2012), Overview of the green wall, Available at http://inhabitat.com/a-milan-shopping-center-is-now-home-to-the-worlds-largest-living-wall/ (Accessed 9-9-2020)

2. Fiordaliso (no date), NBS webpage, Available at https://fiordaliso.net/giardino-verticale/ (Accessed 9-9-2020)

3.Tutto Green (2017), NBS description, Available at http://www.tuttogreen.it/a-rozzano-il-giardino-verticale-piu-grande-d%E2%80%99italia/ (Accessed 9-9-2020)

4. Il Giorno (2012), Al Fiordaliso un giardino verticale da Guinness, Available at http://www.ilgiorno.it/sudmilano/curiosita/2012/09/16/773136-fiordaliso-giardino-verticale-rozzano-centro-commerciale.shtml (Accessed 9-9-2020)

5. Italy's largest green wall: http://www.festivaldelverdeedelpaesaggio.it/giardino-verticale-piu-grande-ditalia-milano (Website not available in 2020)

6. Inhabitat (2012), Vertical garden, Available at https://inhabitat.com/a-milan-shopping-center-is-now-home-to-the-worlds-largest-living-wall/worlds-largest-living-wall-fiordaliso-milan/ (Accessed 9-9-2020)

7. FiorieFoglie (2011), Interview to the designing architect, Available at http://fioriefoglie.tgcom24.it/2011/04/20/e-in-fiore-ora-il-giardino-verticale-piu-grande-deuropa/#more-8616 (Accessed 9-9-2020)
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/giardino_verticale_fiordaliso.png
Public Images
Photo 1
https://fiordaliso.net/giardino-verticale/
Photo 2
https://fiordaliso.net/giardino-verticale/
Photo 3
https://fiordaliso.net/giardino-verticale/