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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.
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.
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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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