Beautiful and Fresh Greenery of 1000 Trees in the Heart of Shanghai's Art District

The first phase in the 1,000 Trees project in Shanghai was recently inaugurated, showcasing a beautiful, finished mountain-like structure. I admire how the columns are topped with a big planter that features at least one tree alongside  other botanicals. I love to look at architecture, I am fascinated by the work of Heatherwick Studio and am drawn to design that integrates greenery because I think it is appealing and it gives back to our environment. This particular architecture looks like a giant floral arrangement to me, and I like it. 

CREDIT: JIANG XIAOWEI, SHINE 

Professionally, I visited Shanghai with Certified American Grown Flowers and the USDA as part of a delegation that was formed to travel to China to host seminars to develop foreign trade. On that trip I fell in love with Shanghai, and China. The trip was a part of a USDA Foreign Ag Services grant program that gave Certified American Grown an opportunity to develop markets on behalf of flower farms. I was the only florist and it is one of the greatest experiences of my lifetime. It made a great impression on my heart, my mind and my career. Resendiz Brothers wrote a blog post about this particular trip to China, here. 

I found China to be more beautiful in landscape and design and environmentally progressive than I expected. I have been fascinated ever since. It makes sense that when the 1,000 Trees Building that is a 15 acre block in the heart art district officially opened to the public last month it caught my fascination.  

Heatherwick Studio:

"1,000 Trees is conceived not only as a building but as a piece of topography and takes the form of two tree-covered mountains, populated by hundreds of columns. Rather than hiding the columns which provide structural support, the columns emerge at the top of the building as large planters, each holding a handful of trees."

CREDIT: 1000 TREES, ARCHELLO 

CREDIT: 1000 TREES, ARCHELLO  

CREDIT: 1000 TREES, ARCHELLO 

According to Thursd., "each of the columns is topped with a planter that contains a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, as well as shrubs and hanging plants." 

CREDIT: 1000 TREES BUILDING OPENS IN SHANGHAI, THURSD. 

Known as “Shanghai’s Hanging Gardens of Babylon,” the 1,000 Trees project is a Thomas Heatherwick–designed development. It features two mountainous peaks punctuated with 1,000 soaring pillars showcasing more than 70 different species of trees. The columns (see above) that pass through the building are topped with planters. 

The site is an old flour factory. A part of original factors will be preserved with a bell tower that will be transformed into a sightseeing elevator, the new communal hub unites restaurants, museums, galleries, shops, a hotel, a school, and office spaces across an orthogonal grid. It sounds really cool and green to me. I love it! It makes me sad that our world can't have more wide open green space and forest and plains and plants so this is the next best thing. 

 CREDIT: WORLDARCHITECTURE.ORG

I believe that trees and greenery provide great value to our world's cities and to our world as a whole. Greenery can help mitigate the urban heat island effect by lowering ambient temperatures, shade public spaces and buildings and absorb pollutants from the air. Plus, trees and plants are so visually appealing and lower stress of people, increase focusing and aid mental health. Trees naturally  absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen while they also provide biodiversity, and houses for birds and insects. As the name suggest 1,000 Trees is distinguished by hundreds of plants that emerge from its staggered, pixellated surface and these 1,000 trees have all these benefits. 

CREDIT: DEZEEN