Positioned on a mountain over 3,000 m (9,840 ft) above sea level, the Titlis Tower began life as a telecommunications antenna, but following an ambitious renovation the utilitarian structure has been transformed into a dramatic visitor destination.
The building was originally commissioned by the Swiss postal service in the 1980s and is located at the summit of Mount Titlis, a prominent mountain in the Swiss Alps. In 2017, Herzog & de Meuron was tasked with turning it into a visitor attraction as part of a move to boost tourism in the area.
The renovation process was made even more challenging by the location. Hundreds of tons of steel, glass, and interior materials had to be painstakingly transported to the site by cable car and helicopter, with construction crews working around rapidly changing weather and poor visibility.
Rising to a height of 56 m (183 ft), the building features an underground access tunnel entered from a nearby mountain station. The main additions are centered around two glazed horizontal sections that jut outward in large cantilevers, along with four new sections that rise alongside the existing structure. Unfortunately we've no official "before" photographs, but shots of its original appearance are viewable here.
The lower part of the tower hosts a retail area, while the upper floors contain a 140-seat restaurant. The building is topped by a publicly accessible viewing platform providing superb views of the surrounding landscape.
"From the base, visitors ascend through the four vertical circulation towers, which complement the existing steel columns at each corner, leading all the way up to the viewing platform," explains Herzog & de Meuron. "Two of these steel structures serve as escape stairs, while the other two accommodate [elevators]. The two fully glazed horizontal volumes extend in far-reaching cantilevers and overlap in a cross-shaped arrangement, creating a striking figure visible from afar while offering impressive panoramic views of the alpine landscape from within."
The Titlis Tower is part of a larger effort to redevelop the alpine site for tourism, with the overall project expected to be completed in 2029.
Sources: Herzog & de Meuron, Titlis Tower
