Architects Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger are collaborating on Tor Alva, or White Tower, in the Swiss Alps. The tower will be built using 3D printing technology and concrete developed by ETH Zurich.
Tor Alva will be built on top of an existing building that used to be a blacksmith’s shop. The first eight Y-shaped columns will form part of the first floor. These columns will be 3D printed using a concrete extrusion process developed by ETH Zurich’s Digital Building Technologies team and reinforced with steel. Hansmeyer notes that this is the first time 3D printing has been used to produce structural components, having previously only been used for decorative purposes.
When completed, Tor Alva will be the tallest 3D printed structure in the world, hosting cultural events and attracting visitors. The Zurich Graduate School of Technology has already started printing eight of the 32 structural columns, demonstrating the potential of 3D printing to minimize the use of building materials.
All images courtesy of HANSMEYER and DILLENBURGER
