Vienna ’ s famous palaces and opera houses are set to be joined by a new tourist attraction – the tallest wooden skyscraper in the world . When it is completed in 2017 , the timber-framed tower will be 24 storeys high with more than 200,000 square feet of commercial and residential space . Designed by architects at RLP Rudiger Lainer+Partner , the €65million ( £45million ) HoHo Vienna project is expected to include a hotel , offices , flats and wellness centre . When it is completed in 2017 , about 75 per cent of the 24-storey tower will be made from wood . It will be located in Seestadt Aspern , a massive urban development site in north-east Vienna , about 75 per cent of the building will be made of wood . The 275-ft tower will be a hybrid : it will have a concrete core with a self-supporting timber shell secured to it . Inside , flats will have exposed wood ceilings , columns and walls to create a natural atmosphere , according to renderings released by the design firm . Wood was chosen because the popular building material in Austria is affordable , high in quality and environmentally friendly . Inside , the flats will feature exposed wood ceilings , columns and walls to create a natural atmosphere . With three-quarters of the building made of wood , it is expected to save 2,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions . But the plans have sparked concerns from local fire officials as the developers , cetus Baudevelopment Gmbh , prepare to begin construction this autumn . Vienna fire service spokesman Christian Wegner told the Guardian : ‘ The main factor is that everyone wants to build higher and higher buildings . ‘ An 84-metre-high building in Europe is not usual and there are a lot of necessities that have to be realised . ‘ A few of us were upset because it was crazy to present an idea like this that has not been discussed with everyone yet. ’ Forte in Melbourne , Australia is currently the tallest timber-framed residential building in the world . He said special tests must be conducted on the hybrid model and a fail-safe sprinkler system . The architects said : ‘ The timber construction system provides high efficiency in terms of thermal insulation and serviceability . ‘ Wood composite floors are secured to the central concrete supporting cores , and extend out to the building edge . ‘ These floor panels are supported by a wooden column system around the outline of the building . This structure then supports pre-fabricated external wall modules that combine solid wood panels with an “ earthy ” concrete shell to form the building 's facade. ’ When it opens in approximately two years HoHo Vienna will be nearly three times as tall as a current record holder . Forte , a 104-ft , nine-storey block of flats in Melbourne , Australia is currently the tallest timber-framed residential building in the world .
HoHo Vienna tower will be About 75 per cent storeys high with space for flats , offices . The £45million project will include a wellness centre when complete in 2017 . 24 of the 275-ft tower will be made of wood . Vienna 's fire service is upset because they were not consulted .