At the beginning of October, during the fifth anniversary of NICE Developers, the prototype of the NICE Tower was presented: a groundbreaking project, the world’s tallest circular timber residential tower. With a height of 140 meters and a fully biobased design, the NICE Tower marks the next step in the revolution of circular timber high-rise construction. The NICE Tower is an example of how architecture can contribute to global climate goals.
The world faces significant challenges: the fight against global warming and the reduction of CO2 emissions are critical. Concrete and steel still dominate the construction sector and contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, the housing crisis continues to grow, urban loneliness is on the rise, and biodiversity in cities is declining. Mei, along with NICE Developers, is committed to driving change in these areas.
NICE Tower: Paris Proof
The Netherlands is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. The NICE Tower directly addresses this urgent societal challenge. Designed entirely out of timber, from the ground floor to the lift core and load-bearing structure, the building significantly reduces CO2 emissions. Compared to traditional concrete towers, which emit an average of 450 kg of CO2 per m², the NICE Tower can reduce emissions to 139 kg of CO2 per m². This means that with the same CO2 footprint, three biobased NICE Towers can be built instead of one conventional concrete tower. With this limited CO2 footprint, the NICE Tower meets the requirements of the Paris Agreement and is therefore “Paris Proof.”
With the NICE Tower, we reinforce our position as leaders in circular timber construction. We previously gained international recognition with SAWA, an iconic 50-meter circular timber residential tower in Rotterdam, also developed in collaboration with NICE Developers. SAWA was praised as an innovative and sustainable project and set the tone for the future of environmentally-friendly building. Through these and other projects, Mei has built the expertise and knowledge to realize complex circular timber construction projects.
Robert Winkel – Mei architects and planners
The NICE Tower in Rotterdam?
Rotterdam, home to both Mei and NICE, seems the perfect location for this revolutionary building. It is no coincidence that the model was unveiled by Jos Melchers, Director of Urban Development for the City of Rotterdam. However, the question remains where the tower will ultimately rise: will the Municipality of Rotterdam push to host the first NICE Tower, or will other cities take the lead? Time will tell.
NICE Tower Expert team
The NICE Tower is the result of an innovative collaboration between various leaders in sustainable construction. NICE Tower is a development of NICE Developers. Mei architects and planners is responsible for the iconic design. Pieters Bouwtechniek has been involved as the structural advisor for the main load-bearing structure. Additionally, Merosch plays a crucial role in ensuring the project’s sustainability, being responsible for the Paris Proof calculations.