W350 Project

Skyscraper in Tokyo, Japan
35°39′10″N 139°50′22″E / 35.65278°N 139.83944°E / 35.65278; 139.83944Groundbreaking2024[1]Estimated completion2041 [1]Cost$5.6 billionLandlordSumitomo ForestryHeight350 m (1,150 ft)Technical detailsMaterialWoodFloor count70Floor area455,000 m2 (4,900,000 sq ft)Design and constructionArchitecture firmNikken Sekkei

The W350 Project is a proposed wooden skyscraper in central Tokyo, Japan, announced in 2018. The skyscraper is set to reach a height of 350 meters with 70 floors, which upon its completion will make it the tallest wooden skyscraper, as well as Japan's tallest building. The skyscraper is set to be a mixed-used building including residential, office and retail space.[2][3]

Proposal

The plan calls for the building to be made of 90% wood with the rest being steel. Steel braces will be used to enhance resistance to wind and earthquakes, as the area has high levels of seismic activity. One advantage of wood is that timber-based structures have proven to be very resistant to earthquakes. The project requires 185,000 cubic meters of timber (or 6.5 million cubic feet[4]), and plans to revitalize forestry and timber demand in Japan.[2][3] The choice of wood, aside from aesthetic and seismic concerns, is part of a larger movement aiming to "change cities into forests".[2] Wooden structures are also easier to rebuild or replace than concrete structures if it collapses.[4] Two-thirds of Japan is covered by forest, making it the 2nd most tree-covered country of the OECD countries after Finland. Most of Japan's cedars and cypresses were planted after the Second World War and are now reaching maturity.[5]

The skyscraper is designed by the architectural firm Nikken Sekkei, and will be built by the developer Sumitomo Forestry.[2][3]

Its construction is estimated to cost USD 5.6 billion.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "W350 Tower". Skyscraper center. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Ravenscroft, Tom. "World's tallest timber tower proposed for Tokyo". de zeen. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Japan plans world's tallest wooden skyscraper". Construction Climate Challenge. Copyright AB Volvo 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b Ryall, Julian. "Japanese company plans world's tallest wooden building". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  5. ^ Nguyen Trung, World's tallest wooden skyscraper planned in Tokyo, Redtoolead.com, 21 July 2019

External links

  • "W350 Tower". skyscrapercenter. 2020 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  • Changing Cities into Forests: Creating Environmentally-Friendly and Timber-Utilizing Cities - New Development Concept W350 Plan for Wooden High-Rise Building, Sfc.com