Kingdom Tower, the next world’s tallest

In Blog

Almost a year after its opening in 2010, only 75 of Burj Khalifa’s 900 luxury apartments were occupied. But this hasn’t deterred Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal from signing a contract to build the new Kingdom Tower in the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea. The new tower will reach over 1,000 meters, with the actual height remaining a secret until completion (the Burj Khalifa reaches a paltry, in comparison, 828 metres).

The Kingdom Tower will be home to a Four Seasons Hotel, luxury condos, luxury office space and “the world’s highest observatory.” Fifty-nine elevators and 12 escalators will service the tower and floor 157 will host a sky terrace, accessible to the penthouse. The tower will also have some green features such as a high performance exerior wall to minimize thermal loads and the need for interior cooling. In addition, strategic exterior pockets were designed to create shade for the same reason, and to cool outdoor terraces naturally. Still, this is yet another Middle Eastern project that we think is seriously dubious.
Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill will design the tallest building in the world, Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia.