World’s Tallest 3D-Printed Building Opens

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30 July 2025

A tower situated in the Swiss Alps has been recognised as the world’s tallest 3D-printed building.

Tor Alva, also known as the White Tower, is an immersive performance space designed to be dismantled and relocated after five years of use.

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Designed by Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer for the Origen Cultural Foundation, Tor Alva is a best-in-class example of the opportunities large-scale 3D printing can provide for the construction industry.

The 30-meter-high tower is the world’s first multi-storey building to use fully load-bearing reinforced 3D-printed concrete, with reinforcement integrated during the printing process. It is made of 32 unique 3D-printed columns, where one robot releases concrete layer by layer whilst another inserts reinforcements between those layers. Unlike traditional concrete casting techniques, this method is formwork-free.

Picture: a photograph showing one of the columns being lifted into place by a crane. Image Credit: Hansmeyer/Dillenburger

Each column is made up of three components — the central column, the base, and the capital. The central column is 3D printed, while the capital and base are cast using 3D-printed formwork. The parts are assembled around 10 km from the construction site, transported by truck, and then assembled on-site with a crane. Conversely, this modular approach means the tower can be easily taken apart and reassembled elsewhere. 

The tower also uses corrosion-resistant stainless steel for reinforcement, due to the porous structure of printed concrete.

The design of the tower is wholly code-generated, using immersive visualisation, fabrication simulation and digital twin technology, allowing it to comply with robotic 3D printer constraints.

Picture: an image showing the full height of the Tor Alva tower, with trees and hills in the background. Image Credit: Birdviewpicture

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 30 July 2025

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