Tonkin Liu Creates Tower of Light in Manchester with Innovative Technology

Architecture studio Tonkin Liu, has completed the Tower of Light and Wall of Energy, a 40-meter-high tower that serves as a chimney for a low-carbon energy center in Manchester, England. The tower was built using modern construction engineering methods, namely the shell lace structure pioneered by Tonkin Liu and developed with engineers in Arup. The structure of the shell lace refers to the geometric principles of nature to design strong structures with high aesthetic value.

Tonkin Liu has completed the Tower of Light and Wall of Energy

Tonkin Liu explained that the shell lace structure innovation applies the modern construction methods that use advanced digital modeling, analysis, and fabrication, then combined with sewing principles. In addition, Tonkin Liu collaborated with a local assembler, Shawton Engineering, in creating and unifying parts of the welded tower.

Structure on the tower applying the shell lace method

Laser-cut steel sheet wraps around the tower

The innovative technology used in the construction of light towers and energy walls aims to produce and deliver cleaner energy thoroughly. These light towers produce smoke from a combination of heat and gas-fired electricity. There is a hole with a wavy oval shape that surrounds the tower from the bottom to the top that serves as a wind pressure breaker. The hole has different sizes, the more it leads to the top of the tower this hole the wider the size, this is to maximize the wind gain that passes through the structure.

LED lights illuminate the Tower of Light and Wall of Energy at night

This white light tower with a shell-like wavy oval shape has a structure lined with ceramic floors that can withstand loads. There are long windows that make it possible to see how the heating and power plants in this towering work. During the day, sunlight penetrates and bounces through two chimneys. While at night this tower gets light from LED lights that can change color according to the moment or important event that is taking place.

The walls are covered with 1,373 ceramic tiles

Elevations Tower of Light and Wall of Energy