The wooden tower in Germany transforms natural contraction into programmed curvature, uses controlled drying and cross-laminated timber to produce thin walls, reduces dependence on giant molds, and expands the possibilities of sustainable construction, with a 22-meter spiral structure created to receive visitors.
Engineers manufactured components from still moist wood and controlled how each layer would shrink during drying. The pieces gained calculated curves and formed the Wangen Tower, a 22-meter spiral structure with walls only 13 centimeters thick.
The information was released by the University of Stuttgart, the German university responsible for the project’s research. The tower was inaugurated on April 26, 2024, in the city of Wangen im Allgäu, Germany.
The technique transforms a natural reaction of wood, usually treated as a defect by the industry, into part of the manufacturing process. Instead of preventing the material from bending, the researchers directed this movement to create curved pieces without large molds or giant presses.
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Moist wood was organized to shrink in the calculated direction
Wood loses water and decreases in size during drying. As this shrinkage does not occur equally in all directions, a common piece may deform, crack, or present an unwanted curve.
The engineers took advantage of this difference. They positioned the fibers and organized the layers so that one part of the board shrank more while another limited the movement. This combination produced a programmed curvature.
The boards started flat and underwent controlled industrial drying. As the water left, the material advanced to the shape predicted in the digital model, without relying on a machine forcing the entire curve.
Cross-laminated timber maintains shape after drying
The tower uses cross-laminated timber, a material produced with layers of wood glued in different directions. This organization increases stability and allows better control of movement caused by moisture loss.
A layer with more water acts as the active part, as it shrinks more intensely. Another layer restricts this movement and guides the panel to the desired curve. Then, new layers help to lock the final shape.
The process does not eliminate industrial equipment. The innovation lies in using less force to mold large panels, taking advantage of a reaction that would naturally occur. This opens up possibilities for wooden constructions with curved and precise shapes.
13-centimeter walls help support a 22-meter tower
The University of Stuttgart, the German university responsible for the project’s research, detailed the combination of 13-centimeter walls and a spiral structure capable of handling the construction’s stresses.
The curvature makes the surface more rigid, in an effect similar to that of a corrugated sheet. The walls help resist lateral forces caused by the wind, while the central part of the staircase supports the weight generated by people.
The Wangen Tower was presented as the world’s first accessible tower to use cross-laminated timber structural components that take shape during drying. The walls function as both closure and part of the support.
Sustainable construction uses renewable material more efficiently
Sustainable architecture is evident in the use of renewable wood obtained locally and processed in the region. The reduced thickness of the walls also allows achieving structural strength without unnecessarily increasing the amount of material.
Computer design brought together form, drying, manufacturing, and assembly from the start. Each curve needed to meet the architectural design while respecting the real behavior of the wood during water loss.
The tower integrates a strategy that allows for the disassembly and reuse of components. This possibility considers the future destination of materials and extends the role of sustainable construction beyond resource savings during the project.
Research left the laboratory and reached a permanent construction
The Wangen Tower was born from research by the Center of Excellence for Integrated Computational Design and Construction for Architecture, called IntCDC. The work brought together engineering, digital manufacturing, local companies, and wood knowledge.
Achim Menges, professor and representative of IntCDC, related the works presented in Wangen to years of research and cooperation with companies in the region. The integration allowed the wood self-shaping technique to be brought to a permanent structure.
The tower shows that a previously combated movement can be used to manufacture large and precise components. The result comprises 22 meters in height, walls of 13 centimeters, and a spiral shape created by the wood’s own contraction.
If wood can be molded using humidity and calculation, what other expensive construction stages could benefit from natural processes? Leave your analysis in the comments.
