19.08.2020. This summer, if you happen to be around Copenhagen (Denmark), make plans to visit the United Nations City. Here, Tali, an African hardwood known for its durability, which INTERHOLCO offers with FSC® certification, was chosen for the heavy decking that surrounds the building. With thousands crossing the beautiful waterfront daily, Tali literally paves the way to justice and respect, human rights, environmentally friendly considerations and, peace.
Tali wood is reddish to brown. The genus (Erythrophleum spp.) and the name 'red water tree' refer to the red sap of the bark, which can turn water reddish.
As a tree, Tali is known to have many medicinal properties: the roots and bark cure headaches, soothe body pain and are used as love charms. The tree is also known as the ordeal tree or ‘sassy wood’, as it has been used in trials, until recent times. Its properties certainly do justice to the ground and freshwater, for which Tali is ideal.
Moderately lustrous, Tali wood is very heavy (around 900 kg/m3), it is also weather and insect resistant. Tali is often used in interior and exterior, including heavy construction, decking, floors and anything which is exposed to the outdoors.
Located on an artificial island on Marble pier (Marmolmolen), the UN City provides office space ‘under one roof’ for 11 UN Agencies and around 1’400 employees from 104 countries. The outside waterfront was constructed with strong consideration to the environment, selecting FSC-certified Tali. Wood provides visual and physical connection, as iconic wooden stairs join the outer space to the open floors in the atrium.
UN City is an iconic construction, designed by Danish firm 3xn architects with openness and security in mind. The white building emerges from a dark, burnished steel base, a reference to the elegant white ships that characterize this part of the Copenhagen harbour. The eight-winged star design is a reference to the UN’s operations in every corner of the world.
The building has a large focus on sustainability and environmental friendliness, consuming less than 50 kWh/m2/year. Completed in 2013, UN City has been awarded the European Commission's Green Building Award for New Buildings and LEED's Platinum-certificate.
INTERHOLCO offers FSC-certified Tali. Contact us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To find out more:
Tropical Timber Atlas, p. 858:
Tropix: https://tropix.cirad.fr/FichiersComplementaires/EN/Africa/TALI.pdf
UN City photos © 3xn architects.
INTERHOLCO offers Sustainable Hardwood 'Made in Africa' as a responsible solution to promote better living conditions (construction with wood), reduce climate change, and increase social justice. As FSC-certified producer specialized in producing and trading logs, sawn timber, glued laminated scantlings and other products, INTERHOLCO manages the entire chain, from forest to customers since 1962. Harvesting wood selectively, INTERHOLCO protects 1.1 million hectares of natural forest from permanent conversion to agricultural land, giving 16’000 local inhabitants access to quality basic services and keeping the habitat of thousands of gorillas and elephants.
Tullia Baldassarri Höger von Högersthal
INTERHOLCO AG, Schutzengelstr. 36, 6340 Baar, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 (0)41 767 03 82
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.