Tokyo will soon be home to the world’s tallest wooden skyscraper.
Japanese construction firm Sumitomo Forestry announced plans to develop a 1,148ft, 70-story tall skyscraper in Tokyo constructed of wood to mark its 350th anniversary in 2041.
The planned structure is a hybrid wood and steel structure made from 90% wooden materials.
Sumitomo Forestry said that the amount of timber used in the W350 Plan (185,000 m3 ) is equivalent to approximately 8,000 wooden houses.
There will be trees and foliage on balconies at every level.
The cost of project is approximately $5.6 billion, almost twice the cost of a conventional high-rise of the same size built with current technology.
In 2010, the Japanese government enacted the Act for Promotion of Use of Wood in Public Buildings, promoting a shift to wooden structures for public buildings.
Sumitomo Forestry said:
“The aim is to create an environmentally-friendly and timber-utilizing cities where they become forests through increased use of wooden architecture for high-rise buildings”
Adding:
“The devastation of domestic forests due to insufficient maintenance is becoming a problem. Increased timber demand will promote replanting and contribute to revitalization of forestry and local community through producing seedlings to encourage sustainability of forests.”
