Updated October 12, 2016
Construction has officially started on a striking, sculptural tower by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava set to become the planet’s new tallest building. According to its owners, it will take that title from the Burj Khalifa upon completion in 2020 — on the premise that it will be completed just before Jeddah Tower, already under construction in Saudi Arabia and due to top out that same year. The keystone for Calatrava’s project was laid last week, beginning the journey from rendering to reality for the soaring observation tower.
Upon revealing visualizations and a scale model for the project, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum — Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai — was full of praise for the towering project. “This architectural wonder will be as great as the Burj Khalifa and the Eiffel Tower,” he commented on Calatrava’s competition-winning proposal. “Combining Islamic architecture with modern design, the tower at Dubai Creek will become a national monument as well as a cultural and tourist destination,” added Mohamed Ali Al Alabbar, President of Emaar Properties, which will develop the tower in collaboration with Dubai Holding.
While the exact height of the project remains a secret, Emaar Properties has announced that it will be “a notch” taller than the Burj Khalifa. Newly released renderings show the tower surrounded by dozens of smaller, more conventional skyscrapers, part of a whole new district separated from the rest of the city by a lagoon. Calatrava’s model indicates that the tower will be stabilized by a tensile web of cables reminiscent of the architect’s many bridge designs. The slender elements around the lower half of Calatrava’s tower create a permeable skirt that lends the tower a distinctive, iconic silhouette.
“We feel extremely thankful and honored to have been selected for such an important project,” said Santiago Calatrava. “Dubai is where innovative and revolutionary architecture is making incredible strides. In our proposed design, we have united local traditional architecture with that of the 21st century.” The ground-breaking of the project constitutes another exciting moment after a momentous 12 months for Santiago Calatrava, who was awarded the European Prize for Architecture in December last year.
Stay tuned to Architizer for upcoming news on this and other Calatrava projects throughout 2017.
All images courtesy of Emaar Properties