The 2km Tall Skyscraper Project Will Be Built in Northern Riyadh Despite Design and Funding Challenges.
The skyscraper designed by Foster + Partners will be more than twice the height of the Burj Khalifa. (Image: Adobe Firefly)
Foster + Partners plans to design a 2km tall skyscraper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as reported by New Atlas on May 4th. The project is supported by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. The building will be more than twice the height of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (828m), which was completed in 2010 and is currently the tallest building in the world.
The 2km skyscraper will also break the record for the tallest design by Foster + Partners to date, which is the Chase World Headquarters of JPMorgan in New York at 423m. In addition to Foster + Partners and SOM, several other renowned international design firms are also competing for this super-tall building project, which is expected to be located in northern Riyadh, near King Khalid International Airport. However, the winning bid went to Foster + Partners.
Aside from the impressive height and construction location, authorities have not disclosed much about this early-stage project. However, it will face numerous potential obstacles. For instance, wind loads at such great heights are extremely significant. Furthermore, the foundation on the ground must be very solid to support the weight of the structure, leading to enormous construction costs.
Saudi Arabia has recently attracted significant attention with mega-projects such as The Line, Trojena, Oxagon, and the Mukaab tower. Among these, the $500 billion smart mega-city NEOM will include the 170 km long and 500 m high The Line. On the other hand, Zaha Hadid Architects is developing the Discovery Tower project, a skyscraper in Trojena, a new year-round tourism complex with a ski village, ultra-luxury family resorts, retail shops, and restaurants. The Oxagon project will serve as a seaport and logistics hub for NEOM.
