The landscape designer behind Milan’s famous Bosco Verticale has been selected to landscape two towers forming part of the db Group’s St George’s Bay project.

Laura Gatti, a distinguished landscape planner and agricultural scientist, says she will be creating a “vertical forest” around the two towers, which will house apartments forming part of the massive project. 

“By crafting a vertical forest around these towers, we not only diminish their visual impact but also usher in more sustainable cooling and shading solutions for the buildings themselves. In parallel, in light of the open sea a few meters away we are meticulously selecting the plants and trees that can withstand and thrive in this environment,” she said.

Milan’s Bosco Verticale is a complex of two residential skyscrapers in Milan that feature over 90 species of plants, trees and shrubs on their facades. In 2015 the  Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat named the project the “most beautiful and innovative skyscraper in the world". 

Milan's award-winning Bosco Verticale project. Photo: AFP

Gatti was jointly responsible for curating the complex’s vegetation. She has also worked on projects for Giorgio Armani, Esselunga and Campari.

Robert Debono, CEO of db Group, said the company wanted to set a “new benchmark for high-rise construction in Malta, one that mitigates environmental impact and contributes to a greener island.” 

“Given the country’s size limited, vertical construction is arguably a necessity. However, this doesn't mean we must restrict our landscaping efforts solely to the open plazas below the towers; we can also use the towers themselves as canvases for nature,” he said. 

His father Silvio Debono, who chairs db Group, said the company was proud to be working with Gatti and was convinced the final outcome “will be appreciated by all”. 

The foundation stone for the db Group project was laid earlier this month, following years of controversy and opposition, restarted planning applications and protests. 

Residents and environmental activists have said the project – which apart from two residential towers will also include a five-star hotel and shopping mall – is just too big for the area and will engulf the St Julian’s area in traffic and construction. 

Proponents say the project will attract higher-paying tourists and add commercial appeal to St George’s Bay. 

Plans for another massive hotel and retail-focused project next door to the db site, at Villa Rosa, made headlines this week after Times of Malta reported that Robert Abela’s cabinet has approved plans to partially review the area’s local plan. 

That review is expected to allow developers of the Villa Rosa site to develop it significantly more densely than current local plans allow them to.