Jeddah Tower
| Mile High Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| Opening | 2020+ |
| Cost | US$13.6 billion |
| Owner | Kingdom Holding Company |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 1,600 m (5,280 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | Unknown |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Omrania and Associates, Pickard Chilton |
| Engineer | Hyder Consulting, Arup |
The Mile-High Tower (Arabic: برج الميل), also named Kingdom Tower, is a skyscraper proposed for construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At 1 mile (1,600 m; 5,280 ft) tall it could be the tallest building ever built.[1][2] The tower will have conference halls and retail facilities at the top besides a five-star hotel, offices and deluxe residential units.[3] The US$13.6 billion project, the centerpiece of a planned community near the coast, is being proposed by Al-Waleed bin Talal’s Riyadh-based Kingdom Holding Company.[4] The city to be constructed around the Mile-High Tower will extend over an area of 23 million square metres (total investment US$26.6 billion). The city will have the capacity to accommodate 80,000 people in addition to shopping and entertainment facilities.[5]
According to older plans, the Mile High Tower's architect will be Omrania and Associates, in collaboration with U.S. company Pickard Chilton. Newer reports from 2010 say Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture are selected to design the tower.[3] Adrian Smith designed Burj Khalifa when he was working for Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Gulf News said. The development of the tower is being managed by Emaar Properties PJSC.[6] UK firm Hyder Consulting have been selected as engineering consultants for the project, in conjunction with Arup.[4] The tower could be constructed by Bechtel, though Bechtel's continued involvement has been questioned.[7]
In May 2008, after soil testing in the area cast doubt over whether the proposed location could support a skyscraper of significant height, MEED reported that the project has been scaled back, making it "up to 500 meters shorter".[8]
Reports in the year 2009 wrongly suggested that the project had been put on hold due to the global economic crisis and that Bechtel was "in the process of ending its involvement with the project".[7] Kingdom Holdings Company quickly criticised the news reports, insisting that the project has not been shelved.[9]
In March 2010, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture were selected as architects.[10]
In October 2010 the go ahead was finally given [11]. Kingdom Holding said construction of the Adrian Smith mega structure are moving ahead.[3][12]
See also
References
- ^ "Saudi mile-high tower plan raises bar". News Limited. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ Skyscraperpage.com - Mile High Tower
- ^ a b c "Tallest tower plan in Jeddah on track". gulfnews. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ^ a b "KHC - Mile High Tower". ABQ Zawya Ltd. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Tallest tower plan in Jeddah on track". gulfnews. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ^ "Alwaleed Picks Burj Khalifa Architect Adrian Smith to Design Kingdom Tower". bloomberg.com. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ^ a b "Saudi mile-high tower latest skyscraper to stall". New Civil Engineer (Emap). Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Mile High Tower (working name) - Jeddah". Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Kingdom Holding says tower not on hold". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "US firm to design world's tallest tower in Saudi". AMEnfo.com. 16 March 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
- ^ http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=2682
- ^ "Report: Saudi mega-tower designed by Chicago architects moving ahead". chicagotribune. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.