Living-tree tower sprouts up in Germany

Creating chairs, sculptures and pagodas from living trees isn’t good enough for some of the folks at the University of Stuttgart, it appears. No, members of the Research Group Baubotanik at the university’s Institute of Theory of Modern Architecture and Design have completed what they’re calling the first live-tree “baubonatical” tower.

The prototype tower, located in the south of Germany, is designed to help researchers test the capabilities of living-tree architecture and could lead to real-life scientific progress, according to Gerd de Bruyn, the design institute’s director.

Now nearly 9 metres high with a base area of about 8 square metres, the tower consists of several hundred young white willow trees, some rooted in the ground, others planted in containers and plugged into the structure’s temporary steel scaffolding. Eventually, the researchers hope, all the trees will grow together by a means similar to grafting to become a single organism as well as a strong and functional building.

During this year, the young trees are expected to sprout out in different directions to form a green wall around the structure. Once the whole structure grows strong enough to support the working load, as well as the three zinc-coated steel platforms installed as floors, the scaffolding will be removed.

The researchers expect the tower to be ready for that step within about eight to 10 years.

Meanwhile, the institute will open the tower to the public on 19 September, when visitors will also have a chance to check out a baubotanical catwalk on the site.