world's tallest timber tower will soon rise 100 meters in switzerland

soon to become the tallest timber tower in the world

Schmidt Hammer Lassen presents the design of its Rocket&Tigeli building, which will soon stand in Switzerland as the world’s tallest residential tower with a load-bearing structure in timber. During the next four years, the 100-meter-tall tower will rise in the city of Winterthur, which is located just northeast of Zürich near the German border. the project will exceed the height of the current tallest wooden tower — Norway’s 85.4-meter-tall Mjøstårnet building — by 14.6 meters.

Actually, the building is designed with a timber structure and a facade covered in dark red and yellow terracotta bricks combined with details in dusty green. This color palette reflects the red roofs and yellow bricks of the historical buildings in the area, rooting the building in the city’s surrounding fabric. While the city is defined by its historic architecture and industrial heritage, the Rocket&Tigerli tower takes its name from the locomotives once manufactured at the site.

images courtesy Schmidt Hammer Lassen | @shlarchitects

a new green plaza for residents and visitors

Schmidt Hammer Lassen (see more here) designs its Rocket&Tigerli building — soon to become the world’s tallest timber tower — to create a green plaza for the neighborhood in Winterthur, Switzerland. Thus, the project is organized as four separate volumes of varying heights. Each of the four buildings is designed with a unique visual identity, creating a strong sense of belonging among the residents, to their own building as well as the complex on the whole.

These four buildings together act as a frame for the new landscape, composing a new sequence of small urban spaces. With retail and a restaurant areas, bright passageways and parks at ground level will create an active neighborhood that invites both residents and visitors to enjoy the lively atmosphere.

the innovative construction system

The new world’s tallest timber tower Rocket&Tigerli marks a milestone in the construction of timber buildings. This is not only due to its record setting 100 meter-height, but because of its innovative construction system that explores wood as a natural replacement for concrete.

The architects at Schmidt Hammer Lassen explain: ‘The Swiss company Implenia and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Zürich, ETH, have worked together in developing the new system, which allows the construction of taller timber buildings.

‘In the new system, the concrete core has been replaced with wood, resulting in the fact that the individual beam comes in at a lower weight. This makes it possible to build taller constructions while, at the same time, ensures that the entire building process achieves a lower amount of embedded carbon.’

living inside switzerland’s timber tower

Curating the residential units of its Rocket&Tigerli building in Switzerland, SHL prioritizes the integration of daylight and spaciousness. With this focus, each apartment space is flooded with natural daylight. All units have double-height ceilings and are angled to optimize the inflow of sunlight.

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project info:

project title: Rocket&Tigerli

architecture: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects | @shlarchitects

location: Winterthur, Switzerland

size: 34,500 square-meters (excluding sub-levels)
status: ongoing
client: Implenia, Ina Invest AG
in association: Cometti Truffer Hodel Architects
landscape architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Vogt
engineer: B3, Henaur-Gugler, Waldhauser+Hermann, Bruckner+Ernst
sustainability: Targeting SNBS Platinum and 2000-Watt Society