Members Only
Please join as a member and click "Members Only" to read more complete articles and exclusive content.
Wangen Tower
Looking out over the lush, verdant landscapes of western Allgäu in Germany, sunlight bathes this historic town in a warm glow. In the expansive meadow, a solitary tower stands tall, resembling a tree stretching gracefully toward the sky. The Wangen Tower, with its monumental presence, has become an iconic landmark of the region. Despite its imposing height, the tower harmoniously integrates into its surroundings with smooth, flowing curves, blurring the boundaries between man-made structures and the natural ecosystem. As the first multi-level structure built using self-shaped, structural timber components, it takes center stage at the 2024 Landesgartenschau in Germany, showcasing the innovative potential of renewable materials and weaving traditional timber construction with contemporary architectural expression.
Rising 23 meters above the scenic conservation area, the Wangen Tower is surrounded by gently rolling hills. Designed with meticulous consideration of its relationship to the environment, the tower was developed by the ICD and ITKE research institutes at the University of Stuttgart. Locally sourced spruce was used to create cross-laminated timber (CLT) components, a material traditionally sensitive to moisture. Drawing inspiration from the natural behavior of spruce cones, which adjust their scales in response to changing humidity, the team applied similar principles to control the self-shaping of curved timber components. This approach produced 12 curved timber segments, each just 130 millimeters thick, which were assembled into a spiraled structure. The tower interacts with the wind and dances with light and shadow, offering a graceful and responsive dialogue with its natural surroundings.
At the base, three tapered openings elegantly invite visitors into the structure for exploration. Ascending 113 steps to the viewing platform at the top, visitors can observe the intricate distribution of structural components along the central spine. The climb culminates in a panoramic platform open to the sky, providing breathtaking views of the Argen Valley, nearby rivers, and the historic town of Wangen, with the Alps visible in the distance
In response to global climate challenges, architects and researchers are increasingly turning to low-carbon building materials and exploring feasible solutions for carbon reduction. By leveraging the natural curvature of CLT panels, the tower achieves an efficient and aesthetically refined timber structure. This was made possible through material-informed computational design and precise digital prefabrication. Remarkably, this towering structure, with its striking silhouette, was meticulously preassembled and erected on-site in just three days. The Wangen Tower stands as a testament to the expert integration of woodcraft, renewable materials, and cutting-edge digital prefabrication techniques pioneered by the ICD and ITKE institutes. It elevates traditional timber construction into the realm of contemporary architectural dialogue, creating a profound interplay between modern technology and ecological harmony for visitors to experience and admire.
