Cross-Laminated Timber
―Pioneering Innovation in Massive Wood Construction

CLT is an abbreviation for ‘Cross-Laminated Timber’, an engineered wood product made by gluing and laminating boards in horizontal layers with their wood fibre direction orthogonal to one another. CLT is often produced as large, thick panels that are not only used as structural elements for building construction, but also for civil engineering projects and furniture.
CLT was first used in Switzerland around 1993 and has spread throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania, where it is being used in a variety of buildings. In recent years, the use of CLT has been growing rapidly in many countries such as Japan, especially for the construction of high-rise buildings. CLT panels are also used in detached houses, mid-rise apartment buildings and housing projects, and hotels, etc., taking advantage of prefabrication techniques and the thermal insulation characteristics unique to wood. This exhibition will introduce CLT and its development as one of the most widely used modern engineered wood products.
＊In order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the exhibition period and hours may be subject to change. Please check this page for the latest information.

Exhibition title

Cross-Laminated Timber: Pioneering Innovation In Massive Wood Construction

Date

July 24 (Sat)～September 20 (Mon, national holiday), 2021

Venue

Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum 1F Hall

Time

9:30 – 16:30 (last admission 16:00)
＊Opening hours may have changed.

Closed

Mondays (The following day when Monday falls on a national holiday)

Admission

Adults¥700, Seniors (65 and over) / Students(College/University, High School)¥500, Students(Elementary, Junior High School):Free ＊Including permanent exhibition fee

Sponsored by

Takenaka Carpenter’s Tool Museum, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

Co-organized by

Japan CLT Association, Takenaka Corporation, Meiken Lamwood Corporation, Pius Schuler AG, Schilliger Holz AG

Supported by

Japaneese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Japanese Ministry of the Environment; Forestry Agency; Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI); Embassy of Switzerland in Japan; Japan Association for the International Exposition 2025

In cooperation with

VUILD Corporation, Tottori CLT Corporation

Supervisors

Patrick Fleming (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich), Mikio Koshihara (Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo)

Thinking about CLT, trees, and nature
CLT was originally developed to make better use of forest resources, by making large-scale wood panels from smaller pieces of wood that could not be used for construction. By thinking about how CLT is made, we can better understand the benefits of wood as a natural and renewable material.

CLT joined with wood
In Japan, there is a traditional culture of constructing buildings by joining wood together. Carpenters were responsible for this joining process, but recently it has become possible to also machine traditional joints. This exhibition displays a CLT sculpture made of 36mm thick CLT panels, the thinnest and lightest CLT panels in Japan, which is assembled using only wood. No screws, steel materials, or special tools are used.
Photo: CLT Sculpture (Hayato Kurobe)

CLT Architectural model exhibition
CLT architecture is often constructed as a hybrid of wood and different structural materials. The best way to understand this construction is to see it in a model. In this exhibition, architectural models of the first CLT house in Switzerland, various CLT buildings in Japan, and the latest examples of urban wood construction will be exhibited.

1　What is CLT?
Without using lamination, large-scale panels with wide cross-sections require rare, old trees of a considerable age and size. Even in Japan’s long history of wooden construction, wooden buildings using large, laminated panels such as CLT are new to the country. In addition to an easy-to-understand explanation of the benefits of wood lamination, visitors can see the differences between European and Japanese CLT samples.

2　The original development of CLT in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria
CLT technology is often referred to as an Austrian development, but it was also used in Switzerland and Germany early on in its development. This exhibition introduces the early stage of development and the first built projects to use CLT in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, as well as the subsequent global trend.

3　A comprehensive overview of CLT in Japan
Although CLT panels were originally used in Europe, the circumstances surrounding early European CLT construction are different from those in Japan. This exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of the development of CLT in Japan.

4　Let’s enjoy CLT and its new possibilities
CLT is not only a technology for conventional structures. CLT offers new opportunities in woodworking and advanced construction, such as combining panels to make large-scale, folded-plate structures resembling origami. This exhibition includes some exciting opportunities where you can experience and freely play with wood samples in your own hands.
Photo: CLT wooden box with machine-made box joints (koyart: unmanned vegetable stand)

5　Creating the future with state-of-the-art Japanese CLT
With the aim to create a carbon-neutral and sustainable society, the latest examples of Japanese CLT are introduced from Takenaka Corporation’s case studies. Advanced technology has made it possible to make effective use of domestic timber to realize larger, taller, incombustible buildings, which were difficult to achieve in conventional wooden construction.