World's Tallest 3D-Printed Building Towers Over Tiny Swiss Town

Forbes

2 days ago

In a quaint village nestled high in the Swiss alps, an enigmatic domed building towers above the sloped rooftops. The structure is notable not only for its height, but for how it was constructed. Tor Alva, or White Tower, is believed to be the tallest 3D-printed building in the world.
Located in the tiny town of Mulegns, Tor Alva stands more than 98 feet tall, including its base, and spans 24 to 30 feet in diameter, depending on the spot. At its core are bone-white columns of varying widths and heights, 3D-printed by a giant, nozzle-wielding robot in thin, precise layers of specialized load-bearing concrete. In another innovation, a second robot inserted steel reinforcement between layers to make the columns fully structural.
As visitors ascend the internal spiral staircase that connects the tower's four floors, they'll notice that each of the branching columns that wrap around atmospheric open-air rooms feature intricate geometric patterns. The shapes differ from column to column, but unite to form a cohesive visual whole.
'The tower feels at once solid and transparent,' Michael Hansmeyer, one of Tor Alva's architects, said in an interview. 'It shelters, but never encloses.'
Visitors enter the tower through a dark, historic carriage depot. 'As they climb the tower, the columns evolve from robust and grounded columns at the base to thin, airy, intertwined columns at the top,' said Hansmeyer, also a programmer who explores the use of algorithms to generate and fabricate architectural forms.
Construction on Tora Alva began in February of 2024 and it opened last month as a space that combines architecture, structural engineering and culture. A cupola theater at the top has a central stage and 32 seats — it will serve as a performance space for concerts, art installations, readings and theater and dance performances against mountain panoramas.
Mulegns thrived in the 19th century as a hub for artisans — confectioners, master builders and stucco plasterers who exported their skills to the world. Now, it has less than 15 residents.
'By fostering architectural tourism and laying the foundation for renewed prosperity in the high alpine valley, Tor Alva breathes new life into a historic community while setting a global standard for sustainable, culturally vibrant development,' say its creators, which include the Nova Fundaziun Origen and ETH Zurich, a university that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math.
The craftsmanship of the new structure, the creators add, recalls the artistry of Baroque builders in the region where Mulegns is located on the Julier Pass. Indeed, the tower has the theatrical, decorative style characteristic of Baroque edifices, but with a technical backstory and otherwordly vibe that place it firmly in the 21st century.
'Tor Alva can be described as a futuristic relic, a structure that appears both ancient and avant-garde,' Hansmeyer said. 'Its flowing, organic forms, enabled by 3D printing, evoke natural associations, yet the precision of the thousands of printed concrete layers reveals a distinctly modern, algorithmic origin.'
Advocates of 3D-printed construction tout the method as a way to build quickly while minimizing environmental impact and reducing waste. The robot that extruded concrete for Tor Alva, for example, applies the substance only where needed, resulting in hollow columns that significantly reduce material consumption.
Recent years have seen the rise of 3D-printed homes, and even an entire neighborhood in Texas, aimed at easing the affordable housing shortage. Following the devastating L.A. wildfires in January, the technique has gained ground in the area as it significantly speeds up the rebuilding process for displaced residents. Walls constructed using concrete 3D printing can be built in just days.
But the technique also holds design promise.
'It will allow us to build a richer, more expressive architecture,' Hansmeyer said, 'as the additive process liberates designers from the constraints of traditional formwork, enabling complex, organic shapes and intricate details previously unachievable or cost-prohibitive.'
It took about five months to generate Tor Alva's 124 3D-printed elements. Benjamin Dillenburger, a professor of digital building technologies at ETH Zurich, partnered with Hansmeyer on the design, and Uffer Group and Zindel United handled the construction, with help from engineering firm Conzett Bronzini Partner AG.
Performances at the site's theater start in July, but visitors can already take daily tours, glimpsing technological ambition and architectural possibility in a remote, idyllic setting.