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Jordan Gate

Coordinates: 31°57′45″N 35°52′8″E / 31.96250°N 35.86889°E / 31.96250; 35.86889
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jordan Gate
Jordan Gate, June 2024.
Map
Alternative names6th Circle Towers
General information
StatusFinishing works
TypeResidential and Commercial
Town or cityAmman
CountryJordan
Coordinates31°57′45″N 35°52′8″E / 31.96250°N 35.86889°E / 31.96250; 35.86889
Elevation985 metres (3,232 ft)
Groundbreaking29 May 2005
Construction started2006
Topped-out2008
Cost$300 million
OwnerJordan Gate For Real Estate Commercial & Tourism Investment Co.
Technical details
Floor count43 (+ 5 underground parking storeys)
Floor area220,000 m2 (2,400,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Ja'afar Tuqan
Other information
Parking1764 passenger vehicles
Website
www.jordangate.jo

Jordan Gate (Arabic: بوابة الأردن) is a high-class commercial and residential project located in the Wadi Al-Seer district of Amman, Jordan. It consists of two high-rise buildings connected by a multi-story podium.

The project, which began in 2005, faced years of suspension due to financial disputes between the owner and contractor, exacerbated by the 2007-2008 financial crisis, along with other incidents. Construction resumed in January 2023, and by May 2024, the external facades of the buildings were completed, with the tower cranes dismantled. In August 2024, a second phase began, focusing on interior finishings, electromechanical work, and site preparation for residential use.

Overview

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The project is situated on an elevated site approximately 985 meters (3,232 ft) above mean sea level, in the Umm Uthainah Al-Gharbi neighborhood of West Amman, near the 6th Circle on Zahran Street. The total cost of the development is around $300 million. It was designed by the late Palestinian-Jordanian architect Ja'afar Tuqan and is owned by the Jordan Gate Company.[1]

The total building area is approximately 220,000 m² (2,400,000 sq ft) and includes 20,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement. It consists of two 43-storey high-rise towers, North and South, covering a total area of 135,000 m² (1,450,000 sq ft). A three-story podium adds an additional 14,000 m² (150,000 sq ft) of space. Additionally, the development features five underground parking levels, spanning 71,000 m² (760,000 sq ft), with a capacity to accommodate 1,764 passenger vehicles.[2][3][4]

The project will feature 215 residential apartments, a three-story shopping mall with 72 retail brands, a swimming pool, a 157-meter bicycle track, and both indoor and outdoor gyms. Due to the absence of any obstructing topography or surrounding buildings, the towers are visible from nearly all neighborhoods in Amman and many other Jordanian governorates. On clear days, they can even be seen from the West Bank, located tens of kilometers away.[4][5]

History

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The land where the project currently stands was originally private property, sold to the Greater Amman Municipality in 1959.[6]

By 2005, the site had become a public park called "Amrah," covering an area of 28,500 m² (307,000 sq ft). That year, the park was sold to GFH Financial House for 5.9 million Jordanian Dinars. On 29 May 2005, King Abdullah II laid the foundation stone for the Jordan Gate project, and excavation works began shortly thereafter. By November, foundation works were underway.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

In 2006, construction advanced, with the structures rising above ground. However, two major incidents disrupted progress: a fire on 25 August and a storey collapse on 12 September.[12][13][14]

By January 2007, the Greater Amman Municipality held a 10% share in the project’s capital but decided to sell it as the project had yet to secure a building license. The Jordan Gate Company compensated the municipality with $40 million, of which $25 million was allocated for traffic and infrastructure improvements around the site, while $15 million covered the municipality's share. Construction momentum increased, and by mid-2007, the towers were rising rapidly, one storey per week, using the slip-forming method. In August, the structures became the tallest buildings in Amman (until Rotana Amman surpassed them in 2013).[15][16][17][18][19]

By 2008, the project had reached 80% completion. The towers had topped out, and glazing works had begun.[20][21]

Between 2009 and 2010, construction slowed due to financial difficulties between the contractor (Al-Hamad) and the owner (Al-Bayan Holding), largely as a result of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Additionally, a crane collapse on the North Tower further stalled progress.[10][22][23]

In 2011, construction halted entirely due to financial hardship, leaving the site abandoned for years. The buildings began to deteriorate, with weathering and corrosion affecting the structures.[24][25]

In May 2016, after many failed negotiations, the conflict between the owner and the contractor was settled. From March to September 2017, construction briefly resumed , including façade cleaning, bracing against seismic loads, steel jacketing, formwork and casting, scaffolding, coring and anchoring, and roof insulation. However, the contractor withdrew, leading to another halt in the project.[26][27][28]

In February 2022, the Greater Amman Municipality re-entered the project as a partner, acquiring 31% of the Jordan Gate Company’s capital (equivalent to 50 million Jordanian Dinars) in an effort to address the "investment failure" in the heart of the city. In December of the same year, bids were invited for the first phase of works related to the external façade.[29][30][31]

In January 2023, construction resumed once more. By December, glazing works on the North Tower were completed,[31] and its tower crane was dismantled.[32] In May 2024, glazing works on the South Tower were also finished, and its tower crane was removed.[33] In August 2024, a tender was launched for the second phase of the project, covering finishing, electromechanical work, and preparations for residential use.[34]


Incidents

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There were four major incidents during the project's construction between 2006 and 2009, including two fires, a storey collapse, and a tower crane collapse:

Fires

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In the early morning hours of 25 August 2006, a huge fire broke out on the eighth storey of the North Tower. No injuries were reported.[13]

On 10 October 2007, due to an electrical surge that reached the wood of the scaffolding, a brief fire broke out at about 3 o'clock in the morning on the 35th storey of the North Tower. No injuries were reported.[35]

Storey Collapse

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At around 8 o'clock in the evening on 12 September 2006, less than three weeks after the fire of August, part of the 3rd storey's slab of the South Tower collapsed due to a failure in the scaffolding, killing two Egyptian workers and injuring 25 others. Works on the project were halted for several months following a decision by Greater Amman Municipality, in order to gain a building license.[14][36]

Tower Crane Collapse

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On 16 May 2009, the crane of the North Tower collapsed after it was overloaded. An Egyptian worker was hospitalized, and 15 surrounding houses were evacuated to nearby hotels. The dismantling process started in June and took 3 days and required three additional cranes that were imported from abroad. It was a complex procedure due to the height of the crane, 220 meters, and because it was surrounded by a crowded neighbourhood. Bags of sand and polystyrene plates were put at ground level to absorb the kinetic energy if the dismantled crane fell during the process.[37][38][39]

Criticism

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The project drew a lot of criticism since even before its construction, mainly due to:

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "الخصاونة ينتقد التباطؤ في إنجاز مشروع أبراج السادس". رؤيا الأخباري (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  2. ^ "اتفاقية بين "الحمد للإنشاء والتطوير" و"حديد الأردن"". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  3. ^ "الخصاونة ينتقد التباطؤ في إنجاز مشروع أبراج السادس". رؤيا الأخباري (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  4. ^ a b "Home". Jordan Gate. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  5. ^ "Sunrise over Amman". This and That. 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  6. ^ a b "أبراج بوابة الأردن..الحكاية والمصير". royanews.tv. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  7. ^ الخليجي, عمان-بيت التمويل. "بيت التمويل الخليجي يعلن عن مشروع بوابة الأردن والقرية الملكية في الأردن". صحيفة الوسط البحرينية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  8. ^ "تفويض أمين عمان و"عناب" ببيع حصة الامانة لشركة بيان الكويتية". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  9. ^ "Jordan king lays foundation stone for US$ 1 billion Royal Metropolis project". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  10. ^ a b "بوابة الأردن .. بوابة الاستثمار". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  11. ^ ""بوابة الاردن" تنهي مرحلة الحفر وتبدأ بوضع القواعد والأساسات". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  12. ^ "فاخوري يؤكد أن العمل فـي مشروع "بوابة الاردن" يسير وفق البرنامج الزمني". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  13. ^ a b "إخماد حريق فـي بناية مشروع بوابة الأردن بمنطقة الدوار السادس". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  14. ^ a b "قتيلان و25 جريحا فـي انهيار بمبنى "بوابة الاردن" على الدوار السادس". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  15. ^ "Jordan Gate". Amman Voice. 2007-08-28. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  16. ^ "أمين عمان يحمل على "من يشوهون الحقائق"". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  17. ^ ""الامانة" توقع اتفاقية بيع حصتها فـي "بوابة الاردن"". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  18. ^ "عالبرج العالي .. عمان مرحلة جديدة!". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  19. ^ "صحيفة عمون : أطول برج في الأردن عام 2013 م ." وكالة عمون الاخبارية. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  20. ^ "إنجاز 80 % من بوابة الأردن واهتمام خليجي بالسوق الأردنية". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  21. ^ "Skyscraper in the context of Amman, Jordan" (PDF).
  22. ^ Abu-Ragheb, Laith (2016-08-11). "Resurrecting Jordan Gate". Venture Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  23. ^ "Collapsed crane 'no longer safety threat' | The Jordan Times". 2015-05-18. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  24. ^ "بعد تعثره منذ 2011 .. مشروع "أبراج السادس" يعود للعمل". جفرا نيوز. 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  25. ^ "رافعات السادس تتأرجح ولجنة كشف بعد حادثتي مكة وتل أبيب (فيديو)". جريدة الغد (in Arabic). 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  26. ^ "Construction of Jordan Gate twin towers to resume after years of suspension". Jordan Times. 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  27. ^ "Al Ofoq ECE". www.al-ofoq.com. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  28. ^ أخبار, هلا. "البدء بأعمال تنفيذ مشروع أبراج السادس بعد انقطاع". klydum.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  29. ^ "GAM resumes construction of Jordan Gate twin towers". Jordan Times. 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  30. ^ "الأمانة: أبراج السادس صورة للتعثر الاستثماري بالأردن". الأمانة: أبراج السادس صورة للتعثر الاستثماري بالأردن (in Arabic). 29 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  31. ^ a b "البدء بأعمال التنفيذ للحزمة الأولى لمشروع أبراج السادس". جريدة الغد (in Arabic). 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  32. ^ "خبرني : إلى أين وصل مشروع (أبراج السادس)؟". خبرني (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  33. ^ "أبراج السادس تتزين بألوان العلم الأردني وشعار اليوبيل الفضي". القلعة نيوز (in Arabic). 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  34. ^ moayyadzf (2024-08-12). "Jordan Gate Company Launches Tender for Second Phase of Sixth Towers Project". Jordan Gate. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  35. ^ "صحيفة عمون : حريق في احد ابراج بوابة الاردن". وكالة عمون الاخبارية. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  36. ^ "الامانة توقف العمل بمشروع "بوابة الاردن"". alrainewspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  37. ^ "Accident halts work on Jordan Gate Towers". Ammon News. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  38. ^ Wiebe, Gerry (2009-06-13). "Amman Jordan Dismantling Collapsed Tower Crane". All Things Cranes. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  39. ^ "صحيفة عمون : استيراد 3 رافعات انشائية لتفكيك وتنزيل الرافعة المحطمة في ابراج السادس". وكالة عمون الاخبارية. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  40. ^ "عمال بوابة الأردن يضربون ويهددون بالاستمرار". موقع عمان نت (in Arabic). 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  41. ^ a b c d فايق, علاء الدين (2023-02-01). "أبراج السادس في عمّان .. "بوابة الأردن" التي لم تر النور بعد". شبكة رؤية الإخبارية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
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