(AGI) Rome, Nov. 3 - Switzerland, after Milan, will be thecradle of a new "vertical forest", "The Tower of the Cedars",designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti. The studio designed the117-metre high building, overlooking Lake Geneva, which willhost 24,000 plants, including 100 cedar trees, 6,000 shrubs and18,000 perennials, hanging plants and ground cover, inpartnership with Buro Happold Engineering for the facilitiesand the agronomist Laura Gatti for the plants, and will beconstructed by Swiss builders Bernard Nicod. The design wonagainst competition from Mario Botta; Richter Dahl Rocha &Associes Architectes and Goettsch Partners. The stars ofthe tower will be four different species of green cedar trees.The cedar is one of the world's most majestic trees, sinceancient times considered sacred and known for its great abilityto adapt to extreme and differing weather conditions such asthe Middle East and the Himalayas. A real "natural monument",it can live for up to 2500 years. The "Tower of Cedars"will be the world's first high rise building just withevergreen trees (80 percent), making an important ecologicalcontribution given that leaves trap fine-particulate matter,absorb CO2 and produce oxygen. The tower will have 36floors intended not only for private flats of between two andfive rooms each, but also for offices and services. The roofwill have a gym and a panoramic restaurant. Stefano Boericommented: "With Tower of the Cedars will have the opportunityto create an unostentatious building of great importance in thelandscape of Lausanne. Architecture able among other things tograft a significant biodiversity of plant species into theheart of a major European city. The Tower of the Cedars, thanksto its shapes and the changing colours of cedars and otherplants through the seasons, will become a landmark in thelandscape of Lake Geneva. I am happy for this extraordinaryopportunity that will make Lausanne a city at the forefront ofthe global challenge to implement urban quality andbiodiversity of species." . .