Global warming is the greatest environmental threat the world is facing at present. It is a phenomenon that can cause raging storms, ferocious fires, rising sea levels, severe drought, searing heat and harrowing floods. The dangerous effects it brings can be a threat to the world's economy, communities, national security and health. Time is slowly running out; that's why experts are now working hard to combat this problem.

With this reason, Michele Molè, a Roman architect and founder and creative director of Nemesi, designed Palazzo Italia, a building which can be the solution to the global threat.

"This is the idea behind our 'urban forest': architecture becomes a tree, a mass of logs that touch the ground and draw nourishment from it, and a twist of branches that aim at the sky, shaping the spaces and volumes of Palazzo Italia," said Michele Molè in an interview with Italo-Americano.

The "symbol of the Italian excellence, modern creativity, and technological innovation," Palazzo Italia is more than just an ordinary luxurious building. Designed by Nemesi Studio, the 13,000 square meter building was constructed using bioactive cement and energy-efficient photovoltaic glass. What's unique about the materials used in building this masterpiece is the ability of this bio-active cement to purify the air from pollutants -- some of the elements that contribute to global warming.

"One of its most innovative features is the photo-catalytic bio-cement that reacts to sunlight and transforms pollution into clean air, keeping also the building's walls white and clean," Molè added.

Made by Italcementi, the bio-cement is made of recycled materials which can "inhale" pollutants like nitrogen oxide and sulfur pollution in the air automatically. Then it converts these negative elements into harmless salts which is eventually wash out by the rain.

"In direct sunlight, the active ingredient in the material 'captures' certain pollutants present in the air and converts them into inert salts, helping to purify the atmosphere of smog," Italcementi said in a statement.

Michele Molè has adapted the idea of Palazzo Italia from what the leaves of real trees do to the environment. The Palazzo Italia has these photovoltaic panels which produce all the energy the building needs. With this energy, the building is capable of literally breathing with the environment.

Carlo Pesenti, chief executive of Italcementi, said, "With this product we feel we can provide a proactive solution for at least one of those problems which are seen every day in the air quality of our cities."