tonkin liu’s tower of light provides low carbon energy in manchester city

THE TOWER OF LIGHT BY TONKIN LIU IS A BIOMETRIC STRUCTURE

London-based architecture practice Tonkin Liu has completed the Tower of Light, a structure capable of supporting and enclosing flues in the center of Manchester City. The biometric structure has been built following the decade-long Shell Lace Structure innovation and research pioneered by the studio and developed in collaboration with ARUP. 

Learning from geometric in nature, the Tower of Light is a strong, light and thin, single-surface structure that uses the least material to achieve the most.

images by David Valinsky

LIGHT, STRONG AND THIN

The Tower of Light by Tonkin Liu has been built from 6 and 8mm thick flat sheets, tailored, laser-cut and then welded together. This results in a curved stiff strong surface with an attractive appearance. Modern methods of construction using advanced digital modelling, analysis, and fabrication, combined with principles of tailoring, have made the Shell Lace Structure innovation possible. This is the largest built Shell Lace Structure to date.

The Wall of Energy is a 63-metre long, 4- 6 meter height street façade enclosing the new energy center. The glazed ceramic tiles reflect light and movement from the clouds in the sky, and the hustle and bustle of pedestrians and cars on the streets. The tessellated interlocking lozenge tile pattern evokes the dynamic energy of earth’s movements, as seen in patterns left in the sand by ocean waves. The 31 different tile types produce undulations that increase in height, across a total of 1373 tiles. Contained within a structure inspired by nature, the technological working of the new energy center hall can be viewed through a long ribbon window.

Minimal energy is used to light the Tower of Light. During the day, polished reflectors inside the tower move in the wind, to reflect sunlight into the tower’s chambers and fill the tower with moving light. During the night, LED lights directed at the reflectors create animated, programmed light sequences every quarter of an hour, marking the passage of time. The Wall of Energy reflects the light of moving clouds and car headlights on the street, as well as being animated with integrated programmed light at night. On landmark dates across the year, the Tower and Wall are illuminated together with colors to mark cultural celebrations.

Tonkin Liu worked with locally-based fabricators to deliver both the tower and the wall. The tower was fabricated by Shawton Engineering, where the final stitch-welding was reserved for the most experienced hands of two veteran welders. The ceramic tiles were fabricated by Darwen Terracotta, one of the UK’s oldest and most respected terracotta companies.

The completed Tower of Light and Wall of Energy create a prominent new gateway into Manchester’s historic district. Together, they form a holistic energy landmark that engages communities with the innovative technologies at the heart of Manchester’s low-carbon ambition and Climate Change Action Plan.

project info:

name: Tower of Light

architects: Tonkin Lui

client: Manchester City Council and Vital Energi
location: Manchester, UK
status: Completed February 2022
structural engineer: Arup
lighting consultant: Seam
steelwork fabricator: Shawton Engineering
tile manufacturer: Darwen Terracotta