Tower of Light is an innovative structure in Manchester that pays homage to nature's strength and beauty.

Tower of Light is a 40-metre tall tower supporting and enclosing flues for a new low-carbon energy centre in Manchester's city centre.

The biomimetic structure was built on the shell lace structure technique, born of decade-long innovation and research pioneered by Tonkin Liu and developed in collaboration with engineers at Arup.

Learning from geometry in nature, the tower's form is its strength. The super-light, super-thin and single-surface structure uses the least material to achieve the most in both style and form.

The tower is constructed from six to eight mm-thick flat steel sheets, tailored, laser-cut and then welded together to create a curved, stiff and strong surface.

This project has been longlisted in the civic building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Architect: Tonkin Liu

Project: Tower of Light

Read more: Tonkin Liu