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We last checked in on the Jeddah Tower, the 167-storey megatall that is next in line to become the world's tallest building, last July. Back then, the tower's structure was over 20 percent complete. In the latest photos from the site, the ever-rising core has substantially jumped to around the 50-floor mark. And it still has a long journey ahead: the tower will eventually top the 1,000-metre milestone, becoming the first structure on the planet to climb over a kilometre into the sky.
Backed by the Jeddah Economic Company and Kingdom Holding Company, the record-shattering tower will usurp the 828-metre Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the current tallest building since 2007. The massive shard of glass, concrete, and metal boasts a design from Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; Adrian Smith was also on the design team for Burj Khalifa and Shanghai's Jin Mao Tower under Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Its slender and slightly asymmetrical design lends comparisons to a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground, symbolizing life for a new neighbourhood that will emerge around the central tower. The streamlined form resembles the folded fronds of young desert plant growth, particularly how they rise cohesively, then separate at the top.
The gigantic spire will house a luxury hotel, office space, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums, and the world's highest observation deck. The three-petal footprint is an ideal floor plate for residences, whose occupants will be granted wide-ranging views of the region. A series of pockets in the facade serve as platforms for outdoor terraces, shielding these amenities from the sun.
Since builders are heading towards uncharted territory, Jeddah Tower will employ one of the world's most sophisticated elevator systems. The complex will contain 59 elevators, including 54 single-deck and five double-deck elevators, plus 12 escalators. The observatory elevators will travel at a speed of 10 metres per second. The protruding circular sky terrace was originally designed to be a helipad.
Targeted for completion in 2020, the Jeddah Tower builds on the supertall expertise of Adrian Smith, and the vision of wealthy developers, who have historically constructed skyscrapers as monuments to power and prominence.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
