Construction on world's tallest skyscraper "officially restarts" in Jeddah
The developer behind Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia has announced that the long-stalled project, designed by Chicago studio Adrian Smith + Gill Gordon Architecture, will complete in 2028.
Developer Kingdom Holding Company announced that the project, which will be the world's tallest building when completed, had restarted at a ceremony last week.
"Construction of the Jeddah Tower, a global symbol of ambition and progress, has officially restarted," said Kingdom Holding Company.
Designed by Adrian Smith + Gill Gordon Architecture, the skyscraper, previously known as the Kingdom Tower, was first announced in 2011 with construction beginning in 2013.
Although the final height has not been revealed, the skyscraper is planned to reach a height of at least 1,001 metres.
This would make it at least 173 meters taller than the 828-metre-tall Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, the world's current tallest building that was named among the most significant buildings of the 21st century in our recent series.
Although it was originally planned to reach completion in 2020, construction on the skyscraper was delayed and finally halted in 2018, with its structure completed up to the 63rd floor.
Last year Dubai-based magazine Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) reported that work was set to resume on the project – this has now been confirmed.
At a ceremony last week, concrete was poured on the 64th floor. A representative of the developer said that they expect to complete a floor every four days, with a completion date now anticipated in 2028.
Once complete, Jeddah Tower will be the centrepiece in a new district under construction to the north of the city. The skyscraper will contain a Four Seasons hotel, apartments, offices and the world's highest viewpoint on the 157th floor.
Renders of the building show a sleek glass-clad structure that tapers up to a pinnacle with a three-pronged footprint.
The project is one of numerous large schemes currently being developed in Saudi Arabia. Recently construction began on the world's largest building – the 400-metre-high, cube-shaped Mukaab supertall skyscraper in Riyadh. Meanwhile, UK studio Foster + Partners is reportedly designing a two-kilometre-high skyscraper in the city, which would overtake the Jeddah Tower as the world's tallest if built.
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