Denmark's Record-Breaking Upcycled Timber Tower
- 47 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Rising to a height of 78m (256ft), the tower sets a new record as Denmark's tallest wooden building - and is one of the tallest in the world too. But what really impresses is its use of recycled materials.
Described as the world's first upcycled timber skyscraper, the building is located in Aarhus - recently acclaimed as the happiest city in Europe. Its height places it at around the fifth-tallest modern timber tower, with the world's tallest, Milwaukee's Ascent, roughly 6m (20ft) taller.
The building is called TRÆ and its name means tree, timber, and three - the latter referencing the project's three-building layout. Two smaller structures rise to six floors each, alongside the 20-story main tower. They mostly host office space, plus a restaurant and some shared facilities, and the decor leans heavily on the natural beauty of the wood used.
Like most timber high-rises nowadays, it's actually a hybrid structure made up of engineered wood, with concrete cores, and even some steel in key places, while also incorporating a variety of recycled materials. These include wind turbine blades for sun shading elements, reclaimed wood and offcuts for flooring, while interior glass walls are made from discarded windows. Even the lighting fixtures are recycled, and reclaimed bricks were used to build a bar on the rooftop terrace.
Lendager Arkitekter says that compared to a similar building made from concrete, TRÆ achieved a 26 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. High-rise timber construction continues to grow in popularity worldwide, with a 100m housing block in Switzerland under construction and Australia's Atlassian Central wooden skyscraper at 183m (600ft) due to smash all records once completed.