A tiltable micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) system lens comprises a microscopic lens located on a front surface of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate and a semiconductor rim surrounding the periphery of the microscopic lens. Two horizontal semiconductor beams located at different heights are provided within a top semiconductor layer. The microscopic lens may be tilted by applying an electrical bias between the lens rim and one of the two semiconductor beams, thereby altering the path of an optical beam through the microscopic lens. An array of tiltable microscopic lenses may be employed to form a composite lens having a variable focal length may be formed. A design structure for such a tiltable MEMS lens is also provided.