by Donald Wood
Last updated: 4:30 PM ET, Tue March 31, 2015
Photo courtesy of Morphosis Architects
Switzerland is known for its incredible views and beautiful scenery, but there are plans being proposed now to build the world's tallest hotel in a small mountain town of Vals in the Alps.
According to Barry Neild of CNN.com, a team of architects commissioned by the owners of the alpine spa, Therme Vals, has proposed a plan for a 53,000 square-meter luxury hotel and spa complex that will measure 1,250 feet tall (381 meters) and will be covered in reflective glass.
The proposal would make the hotel as tall as the Empire State Building, and the project is being dubbed the 7132 Tower, named after Vals' postal code. The construction project would have an estimated completion date in 2019.
Craig Karmin of the Wall Street Journal shared an image of the proposed building on Twitter:
The tower's key architect, Thom Mayne, told Neild via a statement about how the design is taking the local environment and economy into consideration:
"For the 7132 hotel and arrival, the incredible setting demands reducing materiality and presence in the design so that, as in all our work, the connection to site becomes paramount. As much as possible, the hotel is a minimalist act that reiterates the site and offers to the viewer a mirrored, refracted perspective of the landscape."
The design for the tower was determined in an international competition eventually won by American company Morphosis Architects. The competition didn't come without controversy, though, as the judging panel raised questions about the selection process, according to CNN.com.
The hotel would consist of 107 guest rooms and suites. Add in restaurants, a ballroom, library, gym, pool and business facilities, and the owners' desire to build one of the top five hotels in the world is realistic if the project comes to fruition.
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