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Construction gets under way for the world’s tallest tower with its Four Seasons hotel and serviced apartments.
By Mary Scoviak
Things are looking up for Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG). Way up, in fact. Earlier this week, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, signed the construction contract to begin work on the $1.2 billion Kingdom Tower in Jeddah. Rising more than 3,200 ft., the structure will be the world’s largest tower—surpassing Burj Khalifa in Dubai by 500 ft. Chicago-based AS+GG’s sleek design won out over proposals by a short list that included SOM, Pickard Chilton, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Pelli Clarke Pelli and Foster + Partners.
"The vision of constructing the tallest tower in the world in Jeddah belongs to HRH Prince Alwaleed, who was closely involved in the selection of the scheme currently under design," said Talal Al Maiman, executive director, development and domestic investments, a board member of Kingdom Holding Company and a board member of Jeddah Economic Company, which was formed in 2009 to develop Kingdom City in Jeddah.
What impressed the client: “the boldness and simplicity AS+GG’s design.” “Kingdom Tower's height [a little over half a mile] is remarkable, obviously, but the building's iconic status will not depend solely on that aspect. Its form is brilliantly sculpted, making it quite simply the most beautiful building in the world of any height," Al Maiman added. To make that happen, AS+GG and its team blended high tech with organic lines. Gordon Gill and his team took their inspiration for the slender form of the tower from the folded fronds of young desert plant growth. "The way the fronds sprout upward from the ground as a single form, then start separating from each other at the top, is an analogy of new growth fused with technology," he said.
While AS+GG's design is contextual to Saudi Arabia, it also represents an evolution and a refinement of an architectural continuum of skyscraper design. The three-petal footprint accommodates the residential units, and the tapering wings produce an aerodynamic shape that helps reduce structural loading due to wind vortex shedding. The project will feature a high-performance exterior wall system that will minimize energy consumption by reducing thermal loads. In addition, each of Kingdom Tower's three sides features a series of notches that create pockets of shadow that shield areas of the building from the sun and provide outdoor terraces with stunning views of Jeddah and the Red Sea, according to the architects.
AS+GG’s proposal reflected the efforts of a multi-disciplinary team that included building services engineering consultants, Environmental Systems Design and structural engineering consultants, Thornton Tomasetti, engineer of three of the world's top 10 tallest buildings. Vertical integration of multi-use functionality that will include a Four Seasons hotel, Four Seasons serviced apartments, luxury condominiums, premium office space and—of course—an observatory is just one challenge. Another will be to make this soaring structure and the Kingdom Tower Waterfront District which surrounds it blend with the overall Kingdom City master plan being designed by HOK Architects. No timetable was disclosed. It will be interesting to see what happens inside.
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