rendering © Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
The design of the tallest skyscraper in the world will aim to innovate in construction technology and energy efficiency
(Rinnovabili.it) – After a rather long pause, work has restarted on the construction of the tallest skyscraper in the world: the Jeddah Tower. With beyond 1,000 meters high the building will beat the current world record holder, the Burj Khalifarevitalizing the urban core of Jeddah Economic City.
Delays in the construction of the tallest skyscraper in the world began way back 2011are mainly due to the resignation of the general contractor, the Saudi Binladin Grouporiginally tasked with completing the foundations and excavation (1/3 of the total project).
The main project team will remain the Chicago studio Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, the creators of the slender figure of the tower compared to a “flower that arises” from the arid and desert landscape. Originally known as the Kingdom Towerthe Jeddah Tower will cost overall 20 billion dollars putting into practice unique engineering and architectural strategies.
Three converging petals to reduce thermal and structural load
Shape aerodynamicsbut asymmetrical of the Jeddah Tower is composed of three converging petals which reduce the wind forces generated by the extreme height. THE horizontal cuts in the facade of the world’s tallest skyscraper, will provide sufficient shade to protect the outdoor terraces from direct sunlight. Only by perfecting the engineering and architectural design strategies inherent to the construction pedigree of skyscrapers will the Jeddah Tower be able to reach such a height. “The result is in elegant, cost-effective and highly achievable designs that are both rooted in building tradition and aggressively forward-thinking by leveraging new and innovative thinking on technology, building materials, lifecycle considerations and energy conservation,” comment the designers Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill (AS + GG).
For example, the system will be composed of a set of high performance external walls which will minimize the energy consumption reducing thermal loads.
The tallest building in the world will also have to have one of the most advanced vertical movement systems. The skyscraper will contain 59 elevators which will travel at a speed of 10 meters per second in both directions.
Another feature of the project will be the panoramic terrace 30 meters in diameter located on the 157th floor which, once opened to the public, will become the highest observatory in the world.
Originally the works were supposed to be completed in 5 years, but after the latest events, no new completion dates have been confirmed.
