This tiny alpine Swiss village wants to build Europe’s tallest skyscraper – 230ft taller than The Shard
The 80-storey skyscraper will tower over the Swiss village of Vals (Source: Morphosis)
It's the kind of audacious move that would leave the UK's nimbys in a cold sweat: the tiny Swiss village of Vals, situated in the heart of the Alps and with a population of less than 1,000, has unveiled plans to build a glass-and-steel skyscraper 230ft taller than the Shard. In fact, once completed, it would be Europe's tallest tower.
Not surprisingly given the high-end location adjacent to the world-famous Therme Vals spa, by architect Peter Zumthor, the 80-storey tower will house a luxury hotel, complete with 107 guest rooms, a swimming pool, a fitness centre, spas, a ballroom, restaurants, a cafe, a bar and a gallery.
Developer 7132 said it had chosen the design for its "minimalist approach" that will "help the hotel blend with the mountain landscape".
Rooms will have "panoramic views" over the Alps (Source: Morphosis)
The hotel will stand beside the Therme Vals spa (Source: Morphosis)
The ultra-thin tower, designed by US architect Morphosis, is due to be completed in 2017, while the hotel will be opened in 2019.
However, it has already been subject to controversy: in February, the jury tasked with selecting the winner of a competition to design a hotel for the resort "dissociated" itself from the project, saying the decision to appoint Morphosis left "important questions unanswered".
Morphosis beat off competition from London-based studio 6A Architects (Source: Morphosis)