The Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest skyscraper, opened on March 31, 2008, renamed as the Burj Khalifa, an impressive 828 meters, or 2717 feet, tall. While not a mile high, as initially speculated, the new tower is still 320 meters taller than the next tallest skyscraper, the Taipei 101 tower. and we thought the Freedom Tower was going to be tall . . .
It is always fun to preview cool architectural achievements around the world! We’ve covered everything from the world’s smallest apartment to the coolest architectural projects in the middle east (includes the then proposed-tallest building in the world) to the world’s largest building (proposed in Moscow – slated to dwarf the Pentagon).
Once again, we’ve learned of a building that is slated to make the competition cry tears of inadequacy . . .
The Daily Mail reported that Saudi Prince al-Walid bin Talal, one of the richest men on Earth, has unveiled plans to build a tower that will be 1 mile tall (5,280 feet) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – dubbed the Kingdom Tower.
This building, expected to cost £5billion ($10 billion US), if completed, will be more than twice as tall as any planned or completed skyscraper on Earth . . . talk about ambitious!
“Experts say the technical challenges are enormous. Much of the lifting will be carried out by helicopters, which will also be used as commuter transport for builders. The tower will have to be capable of withstanding a wide range of temperatures, with its top baking in the desert sun by day but dropping to well below freezing at night. To resist the strong winds prevalent in the area and stop it swaying, giving its occupants a form of high-rise seasickness, it will be fitted with a giant computer-operated damper. “
Dramamine, anyone?
Pay close attention to the rendering below. To the right of the tower stands a scale size Petronas Towers, one of the current leaders in tall construction . . . Petronas is dwarfed by the Saudi model!
This is what Wikipedia has to say about Kingdom Tower AkA Mile High Tower:
"The Mile-High Tower (Arabic: برج الميل), also named Kingdom Tower, is a skyscraper proposed for construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At 1 mile (1,600 m; 5,280 ft) tall, it would be the tallest building built to date.[1][2] The tower will have conference halls and retail facilities at the top besides a five-star hotel, offices and deluxe residential units.[3] The US$17 billion project, the centerpiece of a planned community near the coast, is being proposed by Al-Waleed bin Talal’s Riyadh-based Kingdom Holding Company.[4] The city to be constructed around the Mile-High Tower will extend over an area of 23 million square metres (total investment US$26.6 billion). The city will have the capacity to accommodate 80,000 people in addition to shopping and entertainment facilities.[5]
According to older plans, the Mile High Tower's architect will be Omrania and Associates, in collaboration with U.S. company Pickard Chilton. Newer reports from 2010 say Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture are selected to design the tower.[3] Adrian Smith designed Burj Khalifa when he was working for Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Gulf News said. The development of the tower is being managed by Emaar Properties PJSC.[6] UK firm Hyder Consulting have been selected as engineering consultants for the project, in conjunction with Arup.[4] The tower could be constructed by Bechtel, though Bechtel's continued involvement has been questioned.[7]
In May 2008, after soil testing in the area cast doubt over whether the proposed location could support a skyscraper of significant height, MEED reported that the project has been scaled back, making it "up to 500 meters shorter".[8]
Reports in 2009 suggested[9] that the project had been put on hold due to the global economic crisis and that Bechtel was "in the process of ending its involvement with the project".[7] Kingdom Holdings Company quickly criticised the news reports, insisting that the project has not been shelved.[10]
In March 2010, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture were selected as architects.[11]
It is always fun to preview cool architectural achievements around the world! We’ve covered everything from the world’s smallest apartment to the coolest architectural projects in the middle east (includes the then proposed-tallest building in the world) to the world’s largest building (proposed in Moscow – slated to dwarf the Pentagon).Once again, we’ve learned of a building that is slated to make the competition cry tears of inadequacy . . .
The Daily Mail reported that Saudi Prince al-Walid bin Talal, one of the richest men on Earth, has unveiled plans to build a tower that will be 1 mile tall (5,280 feet) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – dubbed the Kingdom Tower.
This building, expected to cost £5billion ($10 billion US), if completed, will be more than twice as tall as any planned or completed skyscraper on Earth . . . talk about ambitious!
“Experts say the technical challenges are enormous. Much of the lifting will be carried out by helicopters, which will also be used as commuter transport for builders. The tower will have to be capable of withstanding a wide range of temperatures, with its top baking in the desert sun by day but dropping to well below freezing at night. To resist the strong winds prevalent in the area and stop it swaying, giving its occupants a form of high-rise seasickness, it will be fitted with a giant computer-operated damper. “
Dramamine, anyone?
The Concept
In looking into the concept a bit more, I discovered some insight from SkyScraperPage.com: “Exploring urban issues facing 21st century, The Mile High Tower offers a fresh perspective on an idea that has been debated by architects for a century”1 mile =1600 M . Exploding land values, growing populations and expanding economies are placing extraordinary burdens on many culturally rich, but land deprived Asian regions. In response to these pressures we have proposed a vertical city. In conceiving the tower as a vertical city, the design team has integrated technological, architectural and urban planning strategies into a single structure that breathes with urban complexity. The scale of the building and the scope of the program force the reevaluation of current skyscraper precedents for form, purpose, infrastructure, transportation, structure, and sustainability.”Pay close attention to the rendering below. To the right of the tower stands a scale size Petronas Towers, one of the current leaders in tall construction . . . Petronas is dwarfed by the Saudi model!
This is what Wikipedia has to say about Kingdom Tower AkA Mile High Tower:
"The Mile-High Tower (Arabic: برج الميل), also named Kingdom Tower, is a skyscraper proposed for construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At 1 mile (1,600 m; 5,280 ft) tall, it would be the tallest building built to date.[1][2] The tower will have conference halls and retail facilities at the top besides a five-star hotel, offices and deluxe residential units.[3] The US$17 billion project, the centerpiece of a planned community near the coast, is being proposed by Al-Waleed bin Talal’s Riyadh-based Kingdom Holding Company.[4] The city to be constructed around the Mile-High Tower will extend over an area of 23 million square metres (total investment US$26.6 billion). The city will have the capacity to accommodate 80,000 people in addition to shopping and entertainment facilities.[5]
According to older plans, the Mile High Tower's architect will be Omrania and Associates, in collaboration with U.S. company Pickard Chilton. Newer reports from 2010 say Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture are selected to design the tower.[3] Adrian Smith designed Burj Khalifa when he was working for Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Gulf News said. The development of the tower is being managed by Emaar Properties PJSC.[6] UK firm Hyder Consulting have been selected as engineering consultants for the project, in conjunction with Arup.[4] The tower could be constructed by Bechtel, though Bechtel's continued involvement has been questioned.[7]
In May 2008, after soil testing in the area cast doubt over whether the proposed location could support a skyscraper of significant height, MEED reported that the project has been scaled back, making it "up to 500 meters shorter".[8]
Reports in 2009 suggested[9] that the project had been put on hold due to the global economic crisis and that Bechtel was "in the process of ending its involvement with the project".[7] Kingdom Holdings Company quickly criticised the news reports, insisting that the project has not been shelved.[10]
In March 2010, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture were selected as architects.[11]
In October 2010 the go ahead was finally given.[12] Kingdom Holding said construction is progressing.[3]"
Ok, all that above was from various websites and now here is my say. Could this be the new Tower of Babel that the bible speaks of that could be built again ? Is this really what time bible speaks of as part of the end times? It does say that the tower will be rebuilt and the whole world would wonder at the beast. I'm not using direct quotes but it's crazy how this can be happening.
Let me know what you think about all of this comment, lets start a debate :)
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