After a five-year pause, construction on the Jeddah Tower has resumed. Set to become the world’s tallest skyscraper and beat the UAE’s Burj Khalifa, the tower was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and initially began construction in 2013. Interestingly, the Burj Khalifa was also designed by Adrian Smith while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The scheme faced many delays, including a pause in 2018 and further setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the initial contractor was replaced during the 2017-2019 Saudi Arabian purge.
The developer, Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), is now seeking new contractor bids to complete the project. In fact, several international contractors have been invited to submit complete proposals by the end of 2023, along with an exact timeline for the project’s completion. Before the construction hiatus, approximately one-third of the building had been completed. It had actually progressed to level 50 out of 157, with the piling and foundational works already completed.
When completed, the skyscraper will reach a height of 3,281 feet, or 1,000 meters. This surpasses the iconic Burj Khalifa by 564 feet or 172 meters. The tower is designed to feature a sleek, glass-clad exterior with a sloped façade, drawing inspiration from the folded fronts of desert palm trees.
Designed to be a mixed-use building, the skyscraper will also boast the world’s tallest observation deck, a Four Seasons hotel, residences, and offices. The scheme is part of a major revitalization of Jeddah’s urban core. The design also optimizes residential space with a “three-petal footprint,” creating an aerodynamic shape that reduces wind loading. Additionally, the tower’s elevator system is expected to be one of the most sophisticated worldwide, traveling at speeds of 10 meters per second.
Saudi Arabia has been innovating with many international architects to shape its cities into becoming beacons of future progress. In Jeddah, Heatherwick Studio has recently unveiled a new project to transform an old desalinization plant into the centerpiece of a new cultural district on the waterfront. This year, the first-ever Islamic Arts Biennale, directed by architect Sumayya Vally, took place in Jeddah, situated at the infamous Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz Airport, designed by SOM. About 900 km inland in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian government has revealed the design for the Mukaab, a cube-shaped supertall skyscraper that will become the center of the New Murabba district in downtown Riyadh.
