World's future tallest tower breaks ground in Dubai
Building has started on the Dubai project that is expected to become the world’s tallest tower.
The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour is set to be another record for the city that is home to the world’s tallest skyscraper – the Burj Khalifa.
The tower is expected to be completed in 2020 in time for Dubai to host the World Expo, government officials announced this week.
Emaar Properties, which is building the tower in a joint venture with Dubai Holding, the investment vehicle of the emirate’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, says the tower will be a gift to the city.
A rendering of the planned Dubai tower that will surpass Burj Khalifa in height. Image: Santiago Calatrava
According to Reuters, Guinness World Records defines a tower as a structure in which less than 50 per cent of the total height is useable floor space. The world’s tallest tower is the Tokyo Sky Tree, a 634-metre-high broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower.
Dubai, a major tourism and entertainment centre, is continually laying plans for new attractions. Its new tower, part of a plush new residential area next to a waterfront, will feature several garden-themed observation decks, it said.
The Burj Khalifa is 829.8 metres high and while no height has been specified for the new tower, it is expected to be “a notch” taller than the megatall Burj Khalifa.
The Tower in Dubai will have a spire design. Image: Santiago Calatrava/Emaar Properties
“We wanted to build a new landmark for Dubai,” Emaar Properties chairman Mohamed Alabbar said in April. “When we look at downtown and the Burj Khalifa, the area is almost full to the rim.”
“The design by Santiago Calatrava, chosen after a competitive pitch from the world’s top architects, was a perfect fit to our requirement for a landmark that defined our urban core for Dubai Creek Harbour.
“It integrates not just design excellence but also strong environmental and smart-tech considerations.”
The new tower designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Calatrava will not be a traditional skyscraper.
Cables will support and anchor a slender spire and the tower will include observation decks, gardens and 18 to 20 floors for shops, restaurants and other tourist facilities.
The $1.5 billion Burj Khalifa, completed in 2010, is one of only three megatall buildings – taller than 600 metres – in the world, along with the 632-metre Shanghai Tower and Saudi Arabia’s 601-metre Makkah Royal Clock Tower.
The 1000-metre Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is under construction and due to be completed in 2018.
