Tour de Sauvabelin



The Tour de Sauvabelin (literally "Tower of Sauvabelin") is a wooden tower located in the Sauvabelin forest, Lausanne, Switzerland.

The tower was built in 2003 by Julius Natterer and is 35 meters high. It offers a panoramic view of the city of Lausanne, the Lake Léman and the surrounding countryside and mountains.

Story
In the 1980s, EPFL professor Julius Natterer tasked his students with developing various construction designs. In a motion and an interpellation in 1994 and 1996, city councillor Pierre Payot proposed that the observation tower be constructed using wood sourced directly from Lausanne's forests. To avoid unnecessary felling of trees, logs and squared timber were used, partly from dying Douglas firs for the exterior and also fir and spruce for the interior. The project was approved by the city council on July 2, 1996, and the building permit was granted to the client, the Union des sociétés de développement de Lausanne (USDL), on March 12, 1998. The majority of the approximately 1.19 million Swiss francs in construction costs were financed by sponsors. Anyone could contribute financially by purchasing stair treads; for private individuals, one cost 1,000 francs, and for companies, 3,000 francs. In return, each landing is inscribed with the sponsor's name.

The tower was completed on November 29, 2003, and has been open to the public since December 15, 2003. Access is automatically controlled by a revolving gate and closes during bad weather and after opening hours. The maximum number of people is limited to 50 for safety reasons.