The World’s Most Impressive Wooden Structures

There’s nothing quite as traditional and beautiful as a wooden building. Whether a cosy, quaint log cabin or a grand historical structure, wood looks good and feels great. Let’s look at some other impressive examples of building with wood from across the globe:

This structure was built in the late 1870s and is now a historic reserve. Located in Wellington, the buildings were once the second largest wooden structure in the world for over a hundred years, with four storeys. Due to rising concrete prices, local developers chose to build with kauri wood which is now protected in New Zealand.

Superior Dome, Michigan

The Superior Dome in Michigan stole the title of world’s largest wooden dome away from the Tacoma Dome in Washington State in 1991. It measures a whopping 536 feet and acts as the roof to the sports stadium of the Northern Michigan University campus. It is the height of 14 storeys and spreads over more than 5 acres. It consists of 781 wooden beams of Douglas Fir and more than 100 miles of decking.  If you’re interested in your own wooden building, contact a timber frame construction company like QTF.

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Tall Wood Building, Canada

As the rather unimaginative name suggests, the students of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver reside in a wooden residence on campus. Over 400 students will get the chance to live in the new Tall Wood Building of 18 floors containing 33 4-bed apartments and 272 studios with a lounge at the top. There will be some metal panelling on the exterior of the structure as per architectural guidelines.

U Bein Bridge, Myanmar

This bridge is the longest wooden bridge on earth and has been in place since about 1850. It provides safe passage across the Taungthaman Lake and mud flats. The entire bridge is constructed from teakwood that, according to local legend, was taken from what was once a palace. The bridge stands at 3,960 feet long.

Horyu Temple, Japan

This structure can boast being the oldest surviving wooden building on the planet. It is a Buddhist temple that surrounds a statue and consists of a five-storey pagoda. The grounds cover 46 acres and are filled with well over 2000 historic and cultural structures. Understandably, the temple was chosen as Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

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The Metropol Parasol, Spain

This magnificent half art project/half community centre could stake the claim for being the world’s biggest wooden structure. Located in Seville’s La Encarnacion Square, it was designed by a German architect who drew his inspiration from the Cathedral of the Seville and the local trees. It is four storeys high, spreads out over 136,000 square feet and sots over a museum, bar and restaurant.

The Great Eastern Temple, Japan

Located in the Nara province of Japan, this 8th century temple is famous for having the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue. Also, at the temple is one of the biggest wooden structures found anywhere on earth when it was built. It measures 164 feet wide and 187 feet in length, has gone through two re-builds and hides some fascinating treasure. Archaeologists who have taken x-rays have seen jewels and swords hidden in the wood walls!

Author: Kei Taylor

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