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| Construction site of the Jedda Tower |
Up until now, the Burj Khalifa, standing at 2,716 feet tall, was the tallest building in the world, but this structure in Dubai might have met its match: Saudi Arabia’s Jedda Tower, also known as Kingdom Tower, with a projected height of 3,280 feet. Saudi Arabia is working to get enough funding (1.23 billion) for this massive in-progress project. Currently, the tower stands at 26 floors tall, with the plan for 174 more floors to be built.
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| Computer created image of the Jedda Tower after completion |
Architecturally, this building will be incredibly impressive. This structure, made of steel and concrete, is on the coast, where potentially damaging saltwater might cause a problem in the foundation. Another major challenge is the wind, as this building will be so tall. The creative solution? The tower “changes shape every few floors, [so] the wind loads go around the building and won’t be as extreme as on a really solid block” (CNN). Although there are many challenges, Sang Dae Kim, director of the Council on Tall Buildings, believes that this building can be built.
Questions:
Do you think UAE (the country where the Burj Khalifa is) will be upset?
Should tallest building be a measure of success of a country?
Would you want to go to the tallest floor of this building?
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