Jeddah Tower: Construction resumes on world’s tallest tower

Image credit: Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill

The Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) has resumed construction on the Jeddah Tower, the ambitious project aiming to claim the title of the world’s tallest tower, according to reports from MEED.

A source closely associated with the project confirmed to the publication that the tower’s construction is “back in full motion.”

The developer has initiated the process by inviting contractors to submit bids for completing this record-breaking structure. Kingdom Holding Company’s CEO, Talal Ibrahim Almaiman, has officially confirmed the issuance of the tender, reported MEED.

Current state of built structure

Before initiating the tender process, JEC commissioned an independent assessment of the tower’s current state. The foundational and piling work for this groundbreaking tower is already complete, as per reports.

Construction commenced in the early 2010s with the Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) serving as the initial contractor for the superstructure. The initial phase saw approximately one-third of the superstructure complete. Germany’s Bauer has concluded the piling work for the tower.

The architectural design is overseen by the US-based firm Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, while Lebanon’s Dar al-Handasah (Shair & Partners) serves as the engineering consultant.

JEC’s ownership structure consists of Kingdom Holding Company with a 40 per cent stake, Bakhsh Group holding another 40 per cent, and Sharbatly Group having a 20 per cent share.

Jeddah Tower – a mega project

At over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and a total built area of 530,000 square meters (5.7 million square feet), Jeddah Tower formerly known as Kingdom Tower will be the centerpiece and first construction phase of the $20 billion Kingdom City development in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea.

Expected to cost $1.2bn to construct, Jeddah Tower, will be a mixed-use building featuring a luxury hotel, office space, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and the world’s highest observatory.

It is designed to be at least 173 metres (568 feet) taller than Burj Khalifa, which was designed by Adrian Smith while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

The architecture firm said the design for Jeddah Tower is “both highly technological and distinctly organic. With its slender, subtly asymmetrical massing, the tower evokes a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground—a burst of new life that heralds more growth all around it. This symbolises the tower as a catalyst for increased development around it.”

It adds, “While the design is contextual to Saudi Arabia, it also represents an evolution and a refinement of an architectural continuum of skyscraper design. The three-petal footprint is ideal for residential units, and the tapering wings produce an aerodynamic shape that helps reduce structural loading due to wind vortex shedding. Jeddah Tower’s design embraces its architectural pedigree, taking full advantage of the proven design strategies and technological strategies of its lineage, refining, and advancing them to achieve new heights.”

Green building

The built structure will be constructed using new and innovative thinking about technology, building materials, life-cycle considerations, and energy conservation.

It is expected to feature a high-performance exterior wall system that will minimise energy consumption by reducing thermal loads.

In addition, each of Jeddah Tower’s three sides features a series of notches that create pockets of shadow that shield areas of the building from the sun and provide outdoor terraces with stunning views of Jeddah and the Red Sea.

The Jeddah Tower complex will contain 59 elevators, including 54 single-deck and five double-deck elevators, along with 12 escalators. Elevators serving the observatory will travel at a rate of 10 meters per second in both directions.

Another unique feature of the design is a sky terrace, roughly 30 meters (98 feet) in diameter, at level 157. The sky terrace will be open to the public and will be considered the world’s highest observatory once opened.