Mjøstårnet Showcases 84-Meter Timber Tower as 37% of Global Emissions Come From Buildings
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 27
Mjøstårnet Showcases 84-Meter Timber Tower as 37% of Global Emissions Come From Buildings
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 27
Summary
Mjøstårnet rises 18 storeys and 84 meters over Norway’s Lake Mjøsa, combining offices, apartments and a 72-room hotel in what is billed as the world’s tallest all-timber building.
The project was conceived after the 2015 Paris climate pact as a proof that high-rises can cut reliance on concrete and steel, a crucial target because buildings generate 37% of global emissions and concrete alone accounts for 7-8%.
Mass timber made the tower possible through precision-cut glulam columns and beams assembled at nearly one floor a week, though engineers still added limited concrete on upper floors to reduce sway and meet comfort standards.
Cost remains a hurdle: Mjøstårnet came in at about £100 million, roughly £10-15 million more than a comparable steel-and-concrete tower, even as backers argue carbon accounting could narrow that gap.
The building used more than 16,000 local spruce and pine trees, highlighting both timber’s carbon-storage promise and the need for sustainable forestry as taller wood projects spread from Sweden and Switzerland to Japan.