Urbach Tower: Self-shaping Process of Curved Wood Components

Designing Matter, ICD, ITKE, No Density, Project, Technology and fabrication

Construction, Dealing with Nature, Design, Design strategies, Design-based research, Designing Matter, Digital design, Digital fabrication, Geometry, Germany, Innovation, Landmark, Landscape, Performance, Prefabrication, Research, Structure, Sustainable, Timber Structure, Tower, Urbach, User’s experience, Wood

The Urbach Tower is a unique wood structure. The design of the tower emerges from a new self-shaping process of the curved wood components. This pioneering development constitutes a paradigm shift in timber manufacturing: from elaborate and energy-intensive mechanical forming processes that require heavy machinery to a process where the material shapes itself.