Did you know that there currently is a new world’s tallest building being built? Currently the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, stands at 2,722 feet tall and took six years to build. So what is this tower? It is called the Jeddah tower and it is located on on the north side of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where it is planned to be the world’s first 1 km (over half a mile high) high building! Now due to a political scandal funding for the structure has been stopped and the project has halted since late 2017. However the surrounding landscape and city is still under development and is awaiting its record-breaking skyscraper!

Key Takeaways:

·      The Jeddah will stand at 3,280 feet tall

·      Jeddah Tower was designed by American architect Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture of Chicago (the designer of the Burj Khalifa)

·      It will be home to the worlds highest observatory

·     The building will be made with low-conductivity glass to optimize energy consumption. 

·     Jeddah Tower will have 59 elevators and 12 escalators, and five of these elevators will be double decker.

·      The lifts will not reach the speeds of normal elevators, as the change in air pressure at those altitudes would cause nausea.

·      The foundation piles are about as large as a small room at 10 feet in diameter, and can reach up to 360 feet in length.