A Multifaceted Marvel: World’s Tallest Tower to Include Luxury Hotel, Offices, Serviced Apartments, and More.
As reported by MEED, the Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) has restarted construction on the Jeddah Tower, the ambitious project striving to attain the status of the world’s tallest tower.
A source intimately connected to the project has affirmed to the publication that construction on the tower is “fully underway.”
The developer has kick-started the process by inviting contractors to tender bids to complete this groundbreaking structure. Kingdom Holding Company’s CEO, Talal Ibrahim Almaiman, has officially announced the tender’s release, as MEED reported.
Current Status of the Constructed Edifice
Before commencing the tender process, JEC commissioned an independent evaluation of the current state of the tower. Reports indicate that this groundbreaking structure’s foundational and piling work has already been completed.
Construction commenced in the early 2010s, with the Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) acting as the initial contractor for the superstructure. The initial phase witnessed the completion of roughly one-third of the superstructure, and Germany’s Bauer successfully concluded the piling work for the tower.
The architectural design is overseen by the U.S.-based firm Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, with Lebanon’s Dar al-Handasah (Shair & Partners) as the engineering consultant.
Regarding JEC’s ownership structure, the Kingdom Holding Company holds a 40 percent stake, the Bakhsh Group has another 40 percent, and the Sharbatly Group maintains a 20 percent share.
The Jeddah Tower – A Monumental Project
Soaring to heights exceeding 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and encompassing a total built area of 530,000 square meters (5.7 million square feet), the Jeddah Tower, formerly known as the Kingdom Tower, will be the focal point and the initial phase of the $20 billion Kingdom City development in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea.
The construction of the Jeddah Tower, with an expected cost of $1.2 billion, will result in a mixed-use building encompassing a luxury hotel, office space, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums, and the world’s highest observatory.
Designed to surpass the Burj Khalifa’s height by at least 173 meters (568 feet), the Jeddah Tower’s architectural design by Adrian Smith, while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, is described as “highly technological and distinctly organic.” Its slender, subtly asymmetrical massing evokes the image of a cluster of leaves reaching for the sky, symbolizing growth and development around it. The tower is seen as a catalyst for increased development in its vicinity.
The architectural firm further notes, “While the design is contextually rooted in Saudi Arabia, it also represents an evolution and refinement of the skyscraper’s architectural continuum. The three-petal footprint is ideal for residential units, and the tapering wings create an aerodynamic shape that reduces structural loading caused by wind vortex shedding. Jeddah Tower’s design embraces its architectural heritage while leveraging proven design and technological strategies to reach new heights.”
Sustainable Building Design
The forthcoming structure will be crafted with a forward-thinking approach, embracing novel technologies, cutting-edge building materials, life-cycle considerations, and a solid commitment to energy conservation.
A vital design element is a high-performance exterior wall system meticulously engineered to minimize energy consumption by effectively mitigating thermal loads.
Moreover, the Jeddah Tower boasts a distinctive architectural facet. Each of its three sides incorporates a series of notches, ingeniously creating shaded pockets that shield specific building areas from the sun’s intense rays. These notches also house outdoor terraces, affording breathtaking vistas of Jeddah and the Red Sea.
Within the Jeddah Tower complex, an impressive array of 59 elevators will operate, including 54 single-deck and five double-deck elevators, complemented by 12 escalators. The observatory elevators, reaching speeds of 10 meters per second in both directions, offer a rapid and exhilarating ascent to the top. Adding to its unique features, the design encompasses a remarkable sky terrace, approximately 30 meters (98 feet) in diameter, located at level 157. This sky terrace will be accessible to the public and become the world’s highest observatory once unveiled.
Source: Gulfbusiness
