The new ‘Jeddah Tower’ in Saudi Arabia could be the future tallest building in the world. Currently Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world. It stands at 2,717 feet (828 meters).
Jeddah Tower, previously known as Kingdom Tower, is a skyscraper construction project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Planned to reach a height of 1 km (3,281 ft). It is the first such mega structure in history.
Click here to read about Jeddah Tower vs Burj Khalifa
The first and ongoing phase of a development project known as Jeddah Economic City is the centerpiece of Jeddah Economic City. Whether you’re a history buff, foodie, or beach lover, Jeddah has something to offer for everyone. Be sure to check out 8 Best Things To Do In Jeddah
Construction
The construction began on 1 April 2013. The piling was accomplished in December 2013. Above ground, the construction began in September 2014.
In late 2017, the owner of Kingdom Holding Co, and the chairman of the Saudi Binladin Group were arrested but the construction of the giant tower was continued.
Concrete construction work was suspended midway during the year 2018 as a result of the structural concrete work being hampered by contractor problems with the contractors after the 2017 to 2019 Saudi Arabian general purge.
In October 2017, the central core of the tower was at 60 floors and the walls were 248 m (814 ft) high. At the end of 2017, a reported height of the giant tower was 252 m (827 ft).
In March 2018, Kingdom Holding Company signed a contract with Orange Business Services to provide IT and communication services to the future tallest building.
There were delays, but the project moved on. Although the progress was very slow, in January 2018, concrete work of the giant tower was about one-third completed.
Designers
Adrian Smith ( Chicago based architect), whose other designs include Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, designed the structure of the future tallest building in the world ie. Jeddah Tower.
The development of the tower is being managed by Emaar Properties. Thornton Tomasetti has been picked as the primary structural engineering firm, and Environmental Systems Design.
Jeddah shares the image of Burj Khalifa, which uses a Y-shaped, triangular footprint to enhance stability and increase the number of window views.
Due to the very giant structure and very tall height, wind was the greatest challenge for the designers. So, the phenomenon known as “wind vortex shedding” was induced to cope with the wind challenge.
Founder
The founder of the project is Saudi Arabian prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a grandson of Ibn Saud. He is also the nephew of the Kings of Saudi Arabia after Ibn Saud.
Building Details
On 2 August 2011, it was publicly announced that the construction was going to start soon, and that the tower was expected to take 63 months to complete.
The building has been constructed to be at least 1,000 meters (about 3,281 ft) tall. One km tall building would be the tallest building in the world to date.
Jeddah Tower covers a 50-hectare (120-acre) area plot, along with its surrounding buildings.
This new design would have had a construction area of 3,530,316 m2 (38,000,000 sq ft) and used cutting-edge engineering that would prevent incoming environmental energy from harming the building.
Just as its metropolitan area, the surrounding City would have been able to service 80,000 individuals and a million visitors. The biggest similarity between the Burj Khalifa and the Jeddah Tower is that they both have a “Y”-shaped plan.
Location and Estimated Cost
The zone is roughly 20 kilometers (10 mi) north of the city of Jeddah. The Jeddah Economic City was designed by HOK Architects. The expansion is planned to reach a new location in Jeddah.
The Future tallest building of the world is recently estimated its development could cost at least SR75 billion (US$20 billion) and take around 10 years to build.
Inside Jeddah Tower
A Four Seasons hotel, Four Seasons serviced apartments, Class A office space, other multiple unit complexes and luxury condominiums are all commonly used to plan the building’s primary function.
Jeddah Tower will also have the world’s highest observatory ie. a special building with a telescope or other equipment that scientists use to watch the stars, the weather etc.
Jeddah Tower will serve as an eye-catching landmark improvement to the values of the other properties in Jeddah Economic City and the remainder in North Jeddah.
Elevators
The building will have a grand total of 59 elevators, five of them will be double-deck elevators,and 12 will be escalators. The elevators are manufactured by the Finnish company Kone.
The world’s largest observation deck will be on it, and one of the fastest elevators in the world will travel at over 10 meters (33 feet) per second (36 km per hour or 22 miles per hour) to that location in both directions.
Environmental System
Environmental Systems Design, Inc. will provide mechanical, plumbing, electrical and fire protection engineering. As well as teledata, audio/visual, security systems, and acoustics will also be provided by the same company.
Environmental Systems Design, Inc is a Chicago based company. Langan also designed the tower’s foundation. Transportation engineering and parking will be provided by Langan International. The underground parking garage has the capacity of 3,000–4,700 vehicals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia could potentially be the future tallest building in the world. With its innovative design and cutting-edge technology, the tower is sure to wow visitors and locals alike. The tower is a symbol of progress for Saudi Arabia and is sure to be a popular tourist destination for years to come.
