A skyscraper set to enter the history books as the world's tallest skyscraper is coming to Saudi Arabia, and fairly soon.
Known as the Jeddah Tower, it will feature 200 floors, which will be used for apartments, offices, and a Four Seasons hotel, as well as views of the Red Sea.
According to Gordon Gill, whose firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture is designing the Jeddah Tower, the skyscraper will have an unique design with a purpose. "Because it changes shape every few floors, the wind loads go round the building and won't be as extreme as on a really solid block," he revealed.
Funding for the development, slated to cost $1.23 billion, has already been secured, and construction for the project, which will require almost 6 million square feet of concrete and 80,000 tons of steel to build is projected to be completed sometime in 2020. The Jeddah Tower has been built up to the 26th floor, so far.
"With this deal, we will reach new, as yet unheard of highs in real estate development, and will fulfill the company's objective of creating a world-class urban center that offers an advanced lifestyle, so that Jeddah may have a new iconic landmark that attracts people from all walks of society with comprehensive services and a multitude of uses," said Jeddah Economic Company’s CEO Mounib Hammoud.
Currently, the title of world’s tallest skyscraper belongs to Burj Khalifa. Located in Dubai, it stands at 2,716 feet tall.
Images courtesy of CNN.com
