A new stadium planned for Milan, Italy, could be one of the greenest in the world — literally.
The proposed stadium, designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, is being called the International Forest Stadium. The architectural firm revealed its newest designs, which are centered on a "forest concept," including a massive amount of trees and vegetation.
"On an architectural level, the project envisages a Forest Stadium, in which trees surround the pitch and the stands and living nature becomes the protagonist of the football experience and a new urban landscape for all citizens," a press release on Stefano Boeri Architett's website reports.
In total, the International Forest Stadium would include more than 61,000 square feet of horizontal green roofs, more than 7,500 square feet of green facades with 3,300 trees, and 56,300 shrubs of 70 different species.
The greenery isn't just thematic — it will also make the stadium eco-friendly. The plan is for all the plants to absorb more than 178 tons of carbon dioxide each year, improving air quality in and around the stadium and lowering temperatures in the surrounding area by reducing the urban heat island effect.
The proposed stadium would use photovoltaic surfaces to make the entire stadium energy self-sufficient. It would also include commercial areas, museum spaces, gyms, press and VIP areas, bars, restaurants, and a running track that would be open to the public.
And, in addition to all of that, it just looks really, really cool.
Environmentally conscious stadiums are becoming more of a trend in recent years. Amsterdam's Johan Cruijff Arena (where Beyonce will soon perform) creates its own clean energy and stores it in electric car batteries. Seoul, South Korea, has covered its entire baseball stadium in solar panels. And in the United States, the San Diego Padres are undertaking a similar project.
As for the International Forest Stadium in Milan, its developers hope that it can come to fruition and function as a "green lung" for the city and transform the soccer-viewing experience as well as the surrounding community.
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