In Bleibach in the Black Forest, Germany, a church tower was built entirely from wood. The tower was clad with an Accoya wooden façade, which protects the tower from the weather. The tapered roof was also clad with Accoya.

The spectacular tower rises almost 34 meters and is recognisable far and wide as a new landmark in the region. A viewing platform has been installed in the tower, where visitors can enjoy the view of the vast country by prior arrangement.

The church tower was designed by the architect, Architektur3, with a triangular floor plan using cross-laminated timber (CLT) made from regional silver fir wood for the construction. A stable construction was particularly important because the high tower is exposed to the high winds and also has to withstand the vibrations of the church bells.

The Accoya wood cladding offers ideal protection for every climate. The durable Accoya wood does not rot and protects the structure so that the church tower will last for generations. This project is another impressive example of what can be done with sustainable Accoya timber.

Accoya was installed uncoated and will acquire a beautiful silver-grey patina over time.

The wooden façade was created with vertical profiles, which were loosened up all around with viewing and air slots. The walls of the viewing platform can be pushed open on all sides through wooden sliding shutters. In the area of the church bells, vertical Accoya slats direct the sound in the desired direction.

The project received two awards from the Iconic Award 2020 for the architectural concept and the innovative choice of materials.

Architect: Architektur³

Engineer: Wirth Haker

Manufacturer: Holzbau Baumer

Photographer: Oliver Kern