The last decade have seen a number of advances in timber architecture, with methods like cross-laminated timber becoming popular, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional construction.
This method of construction has been reserved for smaller-scale buildings, but the envelope is being pushed, further into the sky.
A new 300-meter tower is set to rise in Winterthur, outside of Zurich. Constructed of load bearing timber, the building will be the world’s tallest using wood as the primary structural material.
The mass timber structural core and load-bearing system will be built by construction company Implenia, with design by architecture firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen.
The building will be clad in brick, giving it a distinct and stately appearance, though the core and supportive structures will be made of mass timber.
“Mass timber is increasingly being used to create tall buildings. In 2019, CF Møller Architects completed Sweden’s tallest timber building, the Kajstaden Tall Timber Building, an 8.5-storey-tall apartment building built entirely from cross-laminated timber.
Danish architecture studio 3XN recently proposed a pair of two cross-laminated timber office buildings for Toronto which according to the studio, would become North America’s tallest timber office building.”
A look at mass timber construction, which includes beams and forms made from tightly bonded wood.