Tokyo is adding another tower to its impressive skyline, except this one is a bit different to the others.

The new building will be built almost entirely of wood (90% wood, 10% steel). It will use a brace tube structure in order to withstand earthquakes and strong winds. The outermost layer of the building will be similar to a skyscraper, but the architects have tried to maintain the feeling of nature and create a place where sunlight can be enjoyed with wrap around balconies. The interior of the building will be made exclusively of wood giving a warm and calm feeling.

At the moment, the building is only known as the W350 project, as it will be 350 metres tall, higher than the iconic Tokyo Tower which stands at 333 metres. It will become the tallest skyscraper in Japan beating out the current highest, Abeno Harukas in Osaka (300m). But it will still be a long way off Japan’s tallest tower, Tokyo Skytree which comes in at 634 metres.

The skyscraper will be built nearby Tokyo station in the Marunouchi district and will stand at 70 floors above ground, containing shops, a hotel, offices and residential areas.

The project has been proposed by Sumitomo Forestry, a company dealing in building materials and forestry, with an emphasis on being environmentally sustainable. The company want to promote environmentally conscious ideals in Japan with the new tower. They hope more companies will follow their lead with wooden buildings, making the urban jungle into more like, well, an actual jungle.

Sumitomo Forestry hopes to have the project finished by 2041, in time for the 350th anniversary of the forming of their company. It will be interesting to see how the wooden structure fits in with the surrounding ultra-modern tall architecture that Tokyo has become famous for, it should make an interesting addition to an already eclectic skyline.