This has been an ugly year for Italy. The first wave of the coronavirus took the country by surprise and killed tens of thousands. The second wave somehow took the government by surprise and has killed thousands more. And Italians, desperate for the new vaccine, have struggled to get their hands on simple flu shots or to understand if they will have to be home — and stay home — for the holidays.

To brighten things up as Italians await the vaccine, the government has turned to the urban planner and architect Stefano Boeri. Best known for making so-called vertical forests out of Milan skyscrapers, Mr. Boeri has sought to help his country with architectural flower power — designing 1,500 pavilions with a primrose theme where the vaccine will be distributed.