The Dubai developers of the world’s tallest building want to beat their own record by building a new tower ‘a notch’ taller than the original 2,717 foot Burj Khalifa.
But it’s no traditional skyscraper. It’s to be decked with rotating balconies and elevated landscaping, inspired by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon.
Dubbed the “21st century Eiffel Tower”, the $1billion tower will be less super high-rise and more pyramidal spire.
With ‘garden’ observation decks graced with trees, boutique hotels, and restaurants rotating outside the wall of the tower it will be the most futuristic project to date from government-backed company Emaar Properties.
The company Chairman Mohamed Alabbar hopes the structure, designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava Valls, will act as a magnet – not just for tourists but also for property buyers who are looking for a view.
But its unique selling point may also be its downfall.
The structure’s design means it’s unlikely to be widely recognized as a taller building than the Burj Khalifa, even if it surpasses it in height.
Rules say that ‘cable supported’ buildings typically don’t qualify in rankings.
And due to open by the time Dubai hosts the World Expo in 2020, the rival 3,281ft skyscraper being built in Jiddah, Saudia Arabia, may beat it to the finish line.
The Sun Uk
