A 2km-high skyscraper project will be built north of the capital Riyadh despite numerous design challenges and huge costs.
The skyscraper being built by Foster + Partners will be more than twice as tall as the Burj Khalifa. Photo: Adobe Firefly
Foster + Partners plans to design a 2-kilometer-high skyscraper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, New Atlas reported on May 4. The plan is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). The building will be more than twice the height of Dubai's Burj Khalifa (828 meters), which was completed in 2010 and is currently the world's tallest building.
The 2-kilometer skyscraper will also surpass Foster + Partners’ record for the world’s tallest design to date, JPMorgan’s Chase World headquarters in New York, which stands at 423 meters. In addition to Foster + Partners and SOM, several other prominent international design firms competed for the supertall project, which is planned to be located north of the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, near King Khalid International Airport. However, Foster + Partners won the bid.
Aside from the impressive height and location, authorities have not revealed much about the project, which is still in its early stages. However, the project will have to overcome many potential obstacles. For example, the wind loads at such a high altitude are extremely high. Even the ground foundation needs to be very strong to support the weight of the structure, so the construction costs will be enormous.
Saudi Arabia has recently attracted much attention with megaprojects such as The Line, Trojena, Oxagon, and Mukaab Tower. Among them, the $500 billion smart megacity NEOM will include a 170-kilometer-long, 500-meter-high linear city called The Line. Meanwhile, Zaha Hadid Architects is developing the Discovery Tower, a skyscraper in Trojena, a new year-round tourism complex that will include a ski village, a luxury family resort, retail stores, and restaurants. The Oxagon project will serve as a port and logistics hub for NEOM.
An Khang (According to New Atlas )
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