Towering above the rooftops of Mulegns, a picturesque village in the Swiss Alps, stands Tor Alva (White Tower) — the world’s tallest 3D-printed building. The tiny village, with only 12 residents, hardly seems like the place for it, but local authorities decided the unique installation could help revitalize the slowly fading community. Tor Alva stands nearly 100 feet tall and has a modular design featuring a total of 32 individually printed columns connected by giant screws and steel cables, rather than glued with cement. No steel frame was used when printing the tower’s pieces, but its creators claim the technological innovations showcased by the tower make it both extremely safe and easy to dismantle and move, if necessary. Tor Alva was unveiled on May 20, 2025, in front of a crowd of about 300 excited people who were then able to climb the 3D-printed stairs of the tower all the way to the top floor, which acts as a domed theater for various artistic performances and as a platform for taking in the breathtaking alpine scenery.
