Wangen Tower Surfaces As A Bold Landmark In Southern Germany
Wangen Tower, a collaborative effort between two University of Stuttgart research institutes, pioneers a humble building material into a soaring, staggering landmark in southern Germany.
Behind the Design of Wangen Tower
The concept for Wangen Tower, a super-tall observation structure in Wangen im Allgäu, Germany, commissioned by the city, arose from research into renewable, locally sourced, regionally manufactured timber architecture led by University of Stuttgart professors Jan Knippers of the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design and Achim Menges of the Institute for Computational Design and Construction. Photography courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.Sketch of Wangen Tower. Image courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.Wangen’s torqued, 12-sided shape was created from a dozen CLT modules. Photography courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.Sketch of the curved timber pieces that twist around the tower facade. Image courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.Inspired by the way in which humidity triggers spruce cone scales to open and close, similar principles were applied to carefully warp layered timber components to match a computationally predetermined curvature, a process driven by the wood’s characteristic shrinkage as it is sapped of moisture during kiln drying. Photography by Aaron Wagner/courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.In a Swiss production facility, the curved timber layers were inspected after the self-shaping process, before being glued into CLT modules and milled. Photography by Christoph Morlok/courtesy of LGS Wangen im Allgäu.Photography by Biedenkapp Stahlbau/courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.Opened to the public last spring, the observation platform has a circumference of 70 feet, accommodating 85 visitors at a time. Photography by Roland Halbe/courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.
To reach it, they climb a corkscrew staircase of treads and risers made from hot-dipped galvanized steel. Photography by Roland Halbe/courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.
The CLT components consist of locally sourced spruce treated with a water-repellent finish. Photography by Roland Halbe/courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.
Reached by foot or bike, the tower, sited on a nature reserve, affords 360-degree views of the Argen valley and river, Wangen’s medieval town, and, in the distance, the Bavarian Alps. Photography by Roland Halbe/courtesy of ICD/ITKE/INTCDC University of Stuttgart.
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