Kingdom Tower Under Construction
By Lucas on Jan 15, 2014
Via SmithGill.com
By Penny Munoz
With such an epic name like “Kingdom Tower,” this super tall skyscraper has a lot to live up to—but with proposals revealing it to be 3,280 feet tall after completion, we doubt it’ll fall short!
In competition with… himself… American architect Adrian Smith of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture LLP is producing this building, which will beat out the Burj Khalifa (2,717 feet) that he designed during his time at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, as the tallest tower in the world.
Via SmithGill.com
Already under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Kingdom Tower will stand about 563 feet taller than Burj Khalifa, and feature a sleek, “slender, subtly asymmetrical massing.” The body will be adorned with artistic representations of ascending leaves, which the architect describes as “a burst of new life that heralds more growth all around it.”
Kingdom Tower has generated heated debates over its practicality in regards to how it will serve the country and its people. Leading the project is Saudi Arabian Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal who is renowned for his savvy business investments throughout the world. Supporters who share the prince’s vision praise the project, suggesting that from a cultural perspective, the building will emblemize the nation’s wealth and power, becoming an internationally recognizable icon. Though critics are quick to question socio-economic motives, it’s hard to deny that the skyscraper, with all of its 167 floors, has much to contribute to the city’s economic life. As a multi-purpose building, the plans include a luxury hotel, office spaces and luxury residential units.
Via SmithGill.com
So how much does this little project cost? According to the architect’s website, Kingdom Tower is estimated to cost $1.2 billion. With 59 elevators and 12 escalators, residents need not worry about early morning delays due to over-crowded and slow elevator services; these ultra-sophisticated elevators will allegedly travel at the rate of 10 metres (more than 30 feet) per second in both directions!
According to Kingdom Tower News, work on the tower is right on schedule and we should be able to witness the beauty of Saudi Arabia nearly a kilometre in the air by 2018. Completion is scheduled for 2019.
