3D printed Burj al-Hamam steals show at Floriade

A connection between the past and present at Floriade

One of the most striking objects at Floriade Expo 2022 in Almere is being presented by Qatar: a 3D printed modern version of the Burj al-Hamam. This "pigeon tower" was designed by Witteveen+Bos & the Expo Pavilion Group, printed by Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix in Eindhoven and, at 12.1 meters, the tallest 3D printed concrete object in the world.

The Pigeon Tower

The 3D printed Burj al-Hamam pays homage to the traditionally built pigeon towers in Qatar and is characterized by its special, architectural shape. The tower provides a protective place for more than a thousand pigeons during the migratory season. In doing so, it simultaneously provides an ecological way of farming. Thanks to its clever construction, the pigeons' droppings can be collected and used as fertilizer for local farms. Visitors to Floriade can also enter the tower and thus get up close and personal with the 3D printed structure and construction. Since many feral pigeons are now making grateful use of the tower, access is of course entirely at your own risk.

Groundbreaking design

The Burj al-Hamam was built without steel reinforcement or cast concrete. The 3D printed structure provides an automated way to build the towers' design. To further reduce the carbon footprint, Weber significantly reduced the energy requirements of the production process and the amount of material. As a result, the towers up to 60% emitted less CO2 than the traditional way of construction. In this way, the Weber Beamix concrete printing plant has pushed the boundaries of concrete printing even further.