12 May 17 | The Architectural Review

Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

By Tom Wilkinson

The tallest building in the world when completed, at around one km.

It may seem ironic that some of the tallest buildings of recent years – Jin Mao Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower, Burj Khalifa – represent significant technological advances (not least the world’s longest laundry chute) while having a distinctly historicist flavor, harking back to the setbacks and ornament of Art Deco. The designer of these buildings, Adrian Smith, appears to have an enduring interest in inflating the interwar architecture of the USA.

Perhaps it is a reflection of the times that the new is clothed in antiquated costume; perhaps there is still something to be learned about the formal resolution of unprecedentedly tall structures from the golden age of skyscrapers. Smith’s Jeddah Tower, currently under construction in Saudi Arabia, will be the tallest building in the world when completed, at around one km. The tripartite plan reduces wind resistance, an otherwise insurmountable obstacle at this height. The silhouette recalls Wright’s mile-high tower (p52), and indeed the Saudis originally wanted to breach a mile, but the terrain’s geology was found unsuitable for such purposes.