Tilia Tower joins growing crop of tall timber buildings

In recent years, the number of timber towers around the world, as well as their height, has grown remarkably quickly. The latest notable example in this fast-moving area of sustainable architecture comes from 3XN – working in collaboration with IttenBrechbühl – and its mixed-use Tilia Tower, which is slated for the outskirts of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Assuming all goes ahead as planned, the Tilia Tower will reach a height of 85 m (278 ft). To put this into perspective, it will far exceed the former world's tallest timber building, Brock Commons which measures 53 m (174 ft). It's also tantalizingly close to the current world's tallest all-timber tower, Mjøstårnet, which is 85.4 m (280 ft). However, there's a wrinkle: it's not clear whether Tilia Tower will be all-timber like Mjøstårnet or include a concrete core, like the proposed Tree House (which will reach an impressive 140 m (459 ft) thanks to the extra stability gained from the use of concrete).

Height aside, Tilia Tower looks like it'll be an attractive building, with a tasteful decor that highlights the natural beauty of the wood and a focus on maximizing daylight inside. The building's 37,000 sq m (roughly 400,000 sq ft) of available floorspace will be divided into residential apartments, retail space, and a hotel.

Additionally, as part of the overall project, an adjacent existing office building and badminton hall will be retained. These will undergo an energy efficient renovation and their facades will also be transformed so as to better complement the new tower.

"We have worked with the philosophy of making a building that respects the human scale by emphasizing the connection to nature and by ensuring good daylight, which we know is important for human well-being," says Jan Ammundsen, the architect leading the Tilia Tower, in a press release. "Wood is a consistent material in the project which adds a natural, warm, and robust look. Wood is a fantastic building material, and it will add a fine tactile expression to the building. The Tilia Tower, will be a bright, friendly, humane and sustainable building."

The Tilia Tower design was chosen following an international architecture competition and is being developed by Insula SA and Realstone Group. There's no word yet on when the project is due to begin construction.

Source: 3XN