In the land of glass and steel skyscrapers, it’s hard to change habits when it comes to building on a grand scale. However, the city of Milwaukee (Wisconsin) has just unveiled the unparalleled plans for a 182-meter-high, 55-story tower, which is, give or take three meters, the height of the Areva Tower (La Défense).
If completed, the project could break the record for the tallest wooden building in the world, currently held by the Ascent Tower at 87 meters. The latter was completed in 2022, also in Wisconsin. The structure of the future tower, which does not yet have an official name, will be made of solid wood and cross-laminated panels. It will be made of approximately 90% wood, except for its foundations for which concrete is essential and for its elevator tracks where steel is also required. The wood used should come from “sustainably managed” forests in North America.
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The total cost of the real estate program is estimated at $700 million and was designed by the architectural firm Michael Green Architecture, which specializes in large wooden constructions. The latter considers that this material is the best in terms of water and energy consumption. “The construction sector is responsible for nearly half of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. As climate change intensifies, we must adopt useful and rapid innovations in our constructions,” the firm said in a statement reported by Batiactu.
A design that can still evolve
The construction of this tower is part of the vast redevelopment of the cultural center of the city of Milwaukee. It should allow to revive the activity of the city center of this city of 550,000 inhabitants which wishes to double its population. Planned in several phases, it foresees the creation of 750 apartments, more than 17,000 square meters of offices and 300 hotel rooms. No timetable has yet been communicated and it is unknown how the future wooden tower will be arranged. The authorities warn that the plans could still evolve before the final validation of the project.
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