Italians are famous for greening their buildings, with the famous Vertical Forest Apartments (Bosco Verticale) in Milan being the prime example. Now the city of Florence in Tuscany will celebrate its heritage as one of the wine capitals of the world, by planting an eight hectare vineyard on top of the Amerigo Vespucci International Airport. A prestigious local wine company will manage the rooftop vineyard, and harvest the grapes when they have ripened. The winemaking will also be done on the airport grounds in a special wine cellar. The creative mind behind this project is Rafael Viñoly, an American Architect whose firm was tasked with renovating and redesigning the international terminal. His vision was to blend natural beauty and sustainable energy with the winemaking traditions of the region. 

Linear structures of precast concrete contain the soil and the irrigation system. It is all held aloft by a network of artistic columns that are inspired by the shape of the vines. The project is ecologically positive as it helps to control the temperature in the airport. Heat exchange technology creates low-emission heating and cooling by using the thermal properties of the soil embedded in the roof above. In the summer, when you need to cool the interior, some of the heat flows into the mass of earth above. The soil retains and holds that warm temperature very effectively, and when winter comes, the system can pull the retained heat out of the soil and into the terminal. “This beautiful green surface hides the airport terminal when viewed from prominent vantage points. It will serve as a new landmark for the city’s sustainable future, and as a symbol of its traditions.”