Building a skyscraper out of wood? The 24-floor HoHo Vienna Tower has firefighters “saying what the heck.”

By Rita

Many travelers love visiting the observation decks of the world’s tallest buildings to take in panoramic city views, but have you ever heard of an architectural team planning to build a skyscraper entirely out of “wood”? The world’s tallest “wooden” skyscraper—the HoHo Vienna Tower (provisional translation)—will boast over 200,000 square feet of space and is set to be completed in Vienna in 2017. In addition to residential and commercial uses, it will also house a hotel and a fitness center.

▲ Vienna’s tallest wooden skyscraper (Photo/http://www.hexapolis.com/)

According to the UK’s Daily Mail,the HoHo Vienna Tower will have 24 floors and be located in the city’s northeast development zone. Designed by RLP Rudiger Lainer+Partner, the project is estimated to cost around NT$2 billion. While the building’s foundational structure will primarily consist of concrete, 75% of its materials will be wood. The structure claims to help avoid 2,800 tons of CO₂ emissions and is poised to become a significant new landmark in Vienna.

This project, set to begin construction this fall, has raised concerns among local fire authorities. “People always want to build taller and taller structures. An 84-meter-high building isn’t common in Europe, and we’re unhappy that, so far, no one from this ambitious plan has contacted senior officials or fire departments to discuss safety issues,” said Fire Chief Christian Wegner.