A tiny Swiss village is about to become a record-breaker, when the world’s tallest 3D-printed structure is completed there in June 2024. The Tor Alva, or White Tower of Mulegns, will stand five storeys and 30 metres tall in the picturesque Alpine village setting, but it is no ugly monolith. Its lacelike white concrete appears to weave gracefully into the sky.
White Tower, new hope
Intended to become a point of interest, the unique structure is part of a regional project to revive the fortunes of a huddle of dwindling Swiss villages in the Julier Pass. Thanks to a rural exodus underway since the 1800s, just 16 people are left in the village of Mulegns, where the tower will be constructed. But, the organisation behind the tower initative, Nova Fundaziun Origen, hopes that the presence of an architectural attraction will bring new visitors to the area.
To inspire visitors to spend the night too, the tower will function as a cultural venue and multifunctional space, with a calendar of performances, installations, music, and theatre. A coiling series of columns, each uniquely “printed” with their own pattern, will lead visitors to a penthouse chamber for up to 45 people where concerts can be held.
Bespoke 3D-printed patterns
The bespoke patterned columns are only possible thanks to the 3D-printing technology used. This level of detail is in some ways a nod to the past, as it is rarely seen in modern architecture due to the cost-and-time-intensive nature of creating exquisite patterns. 3D-printing however “enables non-standard, tailor-made elements to be manufactured efficiently,” as the tower’s website points out. “These types of forms would be nearly impossible to produce at this scale using conventional technologies.”
As well as being inspired by artisanal craftsmanship, the tower “will be built involving industry partners from the region. Thus, the tower brings valuable digital skills to the mountain regions and advances local trade,” the website continues.
Eco-credentials
Printable on-site, the tower can also be dismantled eventually and installed elsewhere – something not scheduled until 2029, but an important aspect of the ethos behind the project, to embrace reusability and sustainable building practices. What’s more, the concrete use is far more efficient than traditional building methods as 3D-printing allows more minimalistic forms. It retains strength by integrating rebar, or steel rods, for the first time.
“We’ve been able to integrate for the first time rebar into this concrete extrusion process, which allows us to build very, very high,” said architects Michael Hansmeyer.
The 3D-printing process began in February and is expected to take around 900 hours.
