We wrote back in April of a rumored mile-high skyscraper, one “Kingdom Tower,” being planned by Saudi Arabian developers in Jeddah. At the time, the firm involved, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, emailed us a strong denial of the existence of such a project, saying, “AS+GG is NOT involved in the design of a ‘mile-high’ building.”

What they are involved in is the design of a 3,280-foot building, according to a press release sent out this morning. That’s about 2,000 feet short of a mile, but the tower will still be the tallest in the world when it’s completed. It’s also 630 feet taller than the Burj Khalifa. Because what the world needs now is another glass-clad tower in the desert, right? Let’s get to the facts! Here’s a handy list of our favorite tidbits regarding the Kingdom Tower:

• The project was announced today by King Abdullah’s son, Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, who wears cool shades and is also the world’s 5th richest man.
• There will be 59 elevators. Some of them will travel at 10 meters per second.
• At floor 157, there will be  a 100 foot-wide circular “sky terrace” for the penthouse. You know, for the flying cars! Meanwhile, we’re renting out our homes to meth dealers for an extra buck.

More images after the jump.

by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan

posted in news

tagged News, world's tallest building

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