Innovation: self-formed timber tower

Overall view of the Urbach Tower at dawn. Some people viewing the tower and its specially formed wooden structure from the inside, enjoying the sweeping views across the house rooftops.

The first structure in self-forming wood

The 2019 Remstal Garden Show in the municipality of Urbach will have a unique innovation on show: the 14-metre-high Urbach Tower whose timber panels took on their striking form themselves.

The innovative self-forming process for timber components uses the natural swelling and shrinking of timber with different moisture content. Years of research went into the tower construction. The innovative timber construction is the product of successful collaboration between Prof. Achim Menges and Prof. Jan Knippers from the University of Stuttgart, Dr Markus Rüggeberg from Empa/ETH Zurich and the team from Blumer-Lehmann AG.

Striking timber construction with innovative, self-forming facade

Urbach Tower - the first timber construction with self-formed panels

  • The photograph shows the entire Urbach Tower amid a flower meadow in the evening sun
  • External view of the Urbach Tower against a blue sky

    Urbach Tower - the first timber construction with self-formed panels

  • Close-up of the Urbach Tower from below looking towards the sky. The specially formed, gyrating wooden structure is clearly visible
  • Detailed view of the Urbach Tower showing the self-formed wood components from the interior with views from the tower
  • The photograph shows the entire Urbach Tower amid a flower meadow in the evening sun
  • External view of the Urbach Tower against a blue sky
  • Close-up of the Urbach Tower from below looking towards the sky. The specially formed, gyrating wooden structure is clearly visible
  • Detailed view of the Urbach Tower showing the self-formed wood components from the interior with views from the tower

More about this project

Overall view of the Urbach Tower in the evening sun. The size of the tower is clearly apparent from the person standing next to the tower who looks very small. The specially formed wooden structure is particularly striking amid the hilly landscape.
Urbach Tower made from self-forming timber
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