The plan for the construction of the tallest building in the world in Saudi Arabia appeared in the mid-2000s: it was a response to Dubai's Burj Khalifa, which was then still at the design and construction stage. In order to accurately break the record of competitors from the UAE, the developers intended to build a building 1 mile high, that is, about 1500 m. Later on, the work on the project slowed down, and the height dropped to "more than 1 kilometer", and the architect could not be chosen until the moment resumption of active work in 2010: then the name of Smith was named. Thus, the architect will be able to surpass his previous achievement: his 828-meter Burj Khalifa will remain the tallest building in the world for the coming years, perhaps even until 2017 - it is then that the Kingdom Tower is planned to be completed, the construction of which should begin this year.
The building will have a triangular plan, which has become popular for superhigh structures due to its efficiency, or rather, its variation with concave sides. It will be composed of three upward tapering parts, the central of which will reach its maximum height. These parts should resemble the leaves of a young desert plant, which should give the project the necessary "context".
The concavity of the edges and special niches will help to shade the facades in the conditions of the Arabian Peninsula, and glazing with a high degree of insulation will also serve to economically maintain a comfortable temperature in the interior.
The 5.3 million m2 tower will house the Four Seasons Hotel, serviced apartments, Class A offices, apartments and the world's tallest observation deck. They will be serviced by 59 elevators and 12 escalators, and the speed of the elevators delivering tourists to the observation deck will reach 10 m / s.
On the facades of the tower, thanks to the conceived niches, it will be possible to arrange open terraces for residents, the highest of which, at the level of the penthouse (157th floor), will reach 30 m in diameter; there will be views of Jeddah and the Red Sea.
The project budget is $ 1.2 billion. The tower will become the central part of a larger plan - Kingdom City area of 23 km2 with expensive hotels, luxury housing and offices.
N. F.
