The worlds first kilometre-high skyscraper After a six year construction period, the Kingdom Tower opens in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.* Standing at over 1,000m (3,280 ft) high, this takes the title of worlds tallest building from the previous record holder – the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 830m (2,772 ft). The tower is designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the firm behind the Burj Khalifa, and is developed by Emaar Properties. The project costs $1.2 billion, actually less than it cost to build the Burj Khalifa. The skyscraper has over 200 floors – a world first – and 59 elevators. It contains some 5.7 million square feet of retail, residential, office and hotel space and hosts the worlds highest observation deck.* Reusing the successful Y-shaped footprint of the Burj Khalifa allowed construction to reach higher than ever before. In order to handle the tremendous weight, new concrete formulas were devised. As the building rose, lighter and lighter materials were used. The sloping design, along with massive counterweights placed strategically throughout the tower, help to offset the strong winds present at such heights, which can often reach over 120 mph.* Kingdom Tower becomes the centerpiece of the $20 billion Kingdom City development that essentially becomes an entirely new district of Jeddah. Public opinion is polarised. Many view it as a positive symbol of the power and wealth of Saudi Arabia. Others see it as a white elephant, believing it will ultimately prove to be a financial loss.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 16:38:21 +0000
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