The building has been scaled down from its initial one mile high (5,280 ft) proposal, which was never fully designed, to a height of at least 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) (the exact height is being kept private while in development, similar to the Burj Khalifa). At about one kilometre,Jeddah Tower would still be by far the tallest building or structure in the world to date, standing 180 m (591 ft) taller than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Jeddah Tower's 50-hectare (120-acre) plot with surrounding buildings will be the first of a three-phase Jeddah Economic City development. The three-phase project proposed for a large area of undeveloped waterfront land with an area of 5.2 km2 (2.0 sq mi). It was originally planned to cover 23 km2 (8.9 sq mi) and cost SR100 billion. The area is located roughly 20 km (12 mi) north of the port city of Jeddah. Jeddah Economic City was designed by HOK Architects,[20] and is estimated to cost at least SR75 billion (US$20 billion) and take around ten years to build. The development is envisioned to grow into a new district of Jeddah. The second phase of the project will be the infrastructure development needed to support the city, and the third phase has not yet been revealed.
Facts about Jeddah Tower
The aerodynamic triangular shape and the sloping exterior of the Jeddah Kingdom Tower help in reducing the wind load. Its tri-petal-shaped plan is inspired by the leaves of desert plants. The multi-use tower will house the Four Seasons Hotel in addition to serviced residential apartments and office spaces, with transportation routes all around it.
Jeddah Tower will have the highest observatory deck and hanging balcony, about 652 meters above the sea level. The sleek skyscraper will be the core of Jeddah Economic City project and will be surrounded by houses, schools, universities, malls, and hospitals. Kingdom Tower Jeddah will have 59 elevators. However, due to the extreme height of the tower, which is over one km, elevators are made to move at a speed lower than ordinary lifts to avoid nausea due to the change in air pressure. With the sizzling temperature in Jeddah which could reach 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, the exterior wall system of Jeddah tower comprises a glass of low conductivity to reduce power use for air-conditioning. A structure of such height requires a huge amount of steel for construction which can reach up to 80,000 tons.
