Hyperion, the tallest wooden tower in the world
The city of Bordeaux in France will host the world's tallest timber-framed tower. Named Hyperion, the CLT cross-laminated timber building will be built by the group Eiffage, Woodeum, 3F and the architecture studio Jean-Paul Viguier & Associés.
In March 2016, the mayor of Bordeaux announced that there will be not one but two 50-meter wooden towers for this project: Hypérion by Eiffage y Silva de Kaufman & Broad. The two towers Silva and Hypérion will be located on each side of the tramway line.
The Hypérion tower will have 82 homes, offices and commercial areas and will reach a height of 57 meters, with 18 levels and a total area of 17,000 m² (of which 4,000 m² of offices and 500 m² of shops) in the heart of Bordeaux . The budget for this project is €51 million.
Wood, the main material of this tower, will occupy a large surface area of the building, except on the façade in order to protect the material from the elements. The parking lots will be on the first level and will be invisible since they are part of the construction.
On an environmental level, Hypérion will inaugurate a new generation of buildings with a low carbon footprint. Furthermore, the lightness and rigidity of CLT cross-laminated timber, combined with the resistance of glued laminated timber and LVL, will allow you to face the challenge of height.
Hyperion – Speed of construction and comfort of homes
Recyclable CLT cross-laminated timber stores carbon instead of emitting it. Thus, this material allows the tower to reduce its carbon emissions and fight global warming. The Hypérion tower will serve as a reference for the BBCA (low carbon buildings) label, which aims to divide the carbon footprint of new buildings by 2.
Thanks to the 1400 m3 of solid wood (CLT, LVL and glued wood), the tower will be able to store 1000 tons of CO2, which is equivalent to the amount of carbon emissions generated on average by the energy consumption of such a building in 9 years.
This project will demonstrate the capabilities of wood to reach great heights as it will be used as a supporting structure, although the central core (stairs and elevators) will be made of concrete to ensure its stability.
Wooden tower – Environmentally friendly
The use of the innovative technique of CLT solid wood will allow significant time savings during the entire work as well as a reduction in truck rotations for the heavy work.
As for the homes, you will enjoy large volumes as well as beautiful views. They will extend to the outside thanks to large balconies as well as suspended gardens. Residents will be able to take advantage of the thermal insulation qualities of wood and the comfort of a natural home. When completed, this project, with its sustainable design, will make it possible to reconcile ecology and quality of life.
The construction of the Hypérion tower should begin in September 2017 and be completed in January 2020 according to current planning.
France thus recovers its delay in this type of construction, but meanwhile, countries like Austria, at the forefront of wooden construction, continue to advance. Thus, the record set by the two towers should not last long although at the European level, Hypérion and Silva dethrone the tower «Treet» 14-story building, located in Bergen, Norway.
In Quebec, one construction reached 13 stories and in Melbourne, a 10-story CLT cross-laminated timber tower was built. Even more spectacular is the 24-story, 84-meter-high Hoho Tower project in Vienna. This tower, unlike Hyperion, will not have homes but hotels and shops. In Vienna, the Bahnorama tower, delivered in 2010, measures 65 meters, it is taller than the French towers but it is not a residential or office tower but an observatory, so the challenge is not the same.