Soon Burj Khalifa would no longer be the tallest building in the world, replaced by The Majestic Jeddah Tower. Previously known as the kingdom tower, this skyscraper building has come to its completion, it will be the tallest building in the world with its height of more than 1km and a total construction area 530,000 squares meters. Jeddah Tower will house a commercial and residential place occupying 57 million feet, from hotels, offices, and apartments.
Even though it is located in a desert, this tower would become the landmark and centerpiece of the Jeddah economic city. The whole Jeddah economic city is a project by a kingdom holding company owned by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal that was specifically started for the tower and the city.
The first design of Jeddah Tower was proposed by Adrian Smith (the same architect who designed the Burj Khalifa) in 2010, it was expected the construction to start in 2012. Unfortunately, the geological structure of its surrounding area posed a challenge to its construction, therefore, the construction commenced four years later. The construction plan was to be done in three phases: Jeddah Tower, infrastructure, the third phase is yet to be revealed.
This skyscraper demonstrates the possibility of creating a building that goes beyond 1-kilometer threshold, something that seems to be a fantasy just years go. Inspired by a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground, Jeddah Tower represents growth, prosperity and emergence of its homeland on the global stage.
Rationalized by a “Y”-shaped plan, it is possible to achieve multivariate form of the tower, while a continuously smooth taper will significantly reduce structural loads by obviating the need for the complicated outrigger transfers and belt trusses required in a setback approach. Each wing of the tower is terminated at different heights, this way, they can taper at different rates and establish a distinct three-part spire. That continuous and uninterrupted vertical nature of the walls need to utilize jump form system that allows for a continuous and uninterrupted construction process. There are balconies that seem to interrupt that smooth exterior, but these balconies serve cool outdoor elements for occupants and shading for the tower’s surface.
