2384 Case Study Kingdom Tower Jeddah
2384 Case Study Kingdom Tower Jeddah
2384 Case Study Kingdom Tower Jeddah
org/papers
Subjects: Architectural/Design
Building Case Study
Structural Engineering
Wind Engineering
Keywords: Megatall
Planning
Structure
Original Publication: The Middle East: A Selection of Written Works on Iconic Towers and Global
Place-Making
© Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / Peter Weismantle; Alejandro Stochetti
Case Study: Kingdom Tower, Jeddah
Peter Weismantle, Director of Supertall Building Technology & Alejandro Stochetti, Director, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
The following was originally published in least one kilometer. The invitation was also to note that one of the criteria for the winning
Issue I of the 2013 CTBUH Journal. extended to other international architectural scheme was the tower’s “constructability
firms, including Foster + Partners, Pelli Clarke potential and efficiency.”
During the spring of 2009, Adrian Smith + Pelli, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Pickard Chilton and
Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) began SOM. The competition brief asked teams to
working on a prototype of a mile-high tower. design a multi-use tower serving a five-star The Competition Entry
With an eye to the future, AS+GG’s interest was hotel, serviced apartments, and office and With Kingdom Tower, the goal was to
to understand the potential and challenges of residential units. The proposed design would advance the innovations of Burj Khalifa and
creating a tower that was substantially higher take Kingdom Tower to the highest position discover what could be done better. The
than the tallest man-made structure at that in CTBUH’s three categories for maximum team also knew what had worked very well
time, the 828-meter Burj Khalifa. The questions heights; firstly, it would have the highest on the Burj, and which could be taken into
were: How do we get to a substantially taller occupied floor (currently, Burj Khalifa at 584.5 account in the design.
building? Is there a new typology? What meter). Secondly, it would achieve the highest
about elevators? What about structure? And, architectural top (currently Burj Khalifa at One of the earliest studies done, leading
above all, what about daily life in such a elevation 828 meter). Lastly, it should have to the overall form, shows part of the
building? The exercise turned out to be not the highest tip (also currently Burj Khalifa at a process that helped to create the tower’s
merely theoretical. AS+GG was then invited height of 829.8 meter). The design competition final massing configuration. One of the
to participate in a competition to design the was scheduled to last one month, after which original challenges was to build extremely
world’s new tallest tower at a height of at a winner would be announced. It is important tall without adding too much area to the
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Opposite: Observatory render from above. Source: Jeddah
Economic Company
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sound-control mechanism between public as permit a more efficient, continuous, the ends of the shear walls slope, the taper
corridors and private residential spaces. and uninterrupted construction process. at the end of each wing is created by a
Furthermore, having different rates of taper consistent 3.5 meter cantilever extension
Early on, it was also decided that the tower to each wing results in different termination of the slab edge. All building envelope
could not just be vertically extruded. heights for each, thereby creating the notching is achieved by simply dropping off
Had that approach been pursued, wind dramatically distinct three part spire of slab edge cantilevers.
vortices would have become organized Kingdom Tower. This intuitive concept was
on the sides of the tower and amplified confirmed by wind studies performed by Through this concept of dropping off
the effect, inducing accelerations of lateral RWDI at its facility in Toronto. structural components to create the
movement well above advisable levels architectural expression, and allowing
as these amplified vortices approach the The structure for the Kingdom Tower is formwork to easily jump up on each
resonant frequency of the tower. To counter comprised entirely of cast-in-place reinforced level of the tower, a highly efficient and
this natural magnification, one very typical concrete walls, coupling beams, and constructible system is realized while
approach is to reduce the plan size of the conventionally reinforced flat plate concrete creating a very distinctive form.
tower as it rises in height. On Burj Khalifa, floor framing. The structure contains no
the tower has 27 tiers with setbacks/plan outriggers or wall/column transfers. Due Concrete compressive cube strengths
shape reductions at each. Similar to Burj to the continuous and uninterrupted required to realize the tower structure are
Khalifa, Kingdom Tower “confuses the wind” vertical nature of the walls for the tower, not expected to exceed 115 MPa, and 60
by reducing the cross-sectional size of a highly efficient jump form system can to 80 MPa at significant heights. Advances
the tower as it rises. However unlike Burj be utilized. Formwork for the floor slabs in concrete mix designs and concrete
Khalifa, Kingdom Tower does it by means can also be reused due to the highly pumping technology will be brought
of a continuous taper to each wing. This repetitive geometry of the tower. The faces to bear in order to place high strength
was a result of one of the primary lessons of the shear walls are all vertical, with the concrete in the upper portions of the tower.
learned in the construction of Burj Khalifa. exception of the ends of each wing, which
Eliminating the stepped setbacks as on taper to follow the form of the Tower. This The foundations for the tower are a raft
the Burj obviated the need for outrigger can be accomplished by a simple shift of supported on bored circular piles located
transfers and belt trusses at certain between 200 and 300 millimeters for each approximately 2.5 meters below existing grade
locations, which in turn will reduce the 4 meters vertical lift or internal blockouts due to site modifications raising the base of
concentration of structural loads as well in formwork that is lifted vertically. Because the tower. This modification minimizes the
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Opposite Left: Kingdom Tower tapering shape. Source: Adrian
Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
“The structure for the Kingdom Tower is comprised entirely of cast-in-place reinforced
concrete walls, coupling beams, and conventionally reinforced flat plate concrete floor
framing. The structure contains no outriggers or wall/column transfers. Due to the
continuous and uninterrupted vertical nature of the walls for the tower, a highly efficient
jump form system can be utilized.“
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amount of potential dewatering required on
the site during construction of the lower levels.
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Opposite: Plan and unit planning. Source: Adrian Smith +
Gordon Gill Architecture
balconies removes areas from typical floors also goes up uninterrupted until it stops. these goals, from the initial design it was
that can be added to higher units, in line Overall, the vision was that concrete should agreed that there would be only one primary,
with the client’s goals. be used as high in the structure as possible. unitized wall type on the tower. The simple
The goal was to remove, if possible, any panel design allows for early procurement
Overall Tower Section and Stacking additional steel member at the top. and permits tenders from multiple
manufacturers. Establishing a consistent
The competition design entry can be seen as Another significant design decision early on vertical module (four meters) and horizontal
three tapered wings terminating at different was to standardize the floor-to-floor height module (1.5 meters) allows for repetition
heights with angular ends tied together at four meters for all uses, including office, of identical panels. This in turn facilitates
with an array of horizontal elements such residential, and hotel. Among other things, assembly line-type mass production. The
as the balconies and mechanical floors. this would help elevatoring flexibility and ends of each tapered wing are planar and,
To some viewers it might seem a complex potential change in tower stacking through except for the corners, consist of identical
composition, and even difficult to build. But the different design stages. panels over the entire height. The angle of
the goal was to ensure that the building was each taper has been designed to relate to the
fairly simple and cost-effective. With this in In agreement with the client, office floors horizontal module, permitting a repetition
mind, different construction companies and are placed at the bottom to take advantage of the “make-up” unit over the height of the
component fabricators were consulted early of larger floor plans and dropping elevator tower. The typical four by 1.5 meter panel
in the process to make sure the assumptions bays. These are followed by hotel, serviced size permits loading into materials hoists
were correct. apartments, and residential units of different and does not require use of tower cranes.
levels. At the very top, a super-penthouse is Special areas such as mechanical floors, sky
One of the key elements for addressing the placed to allow the tenant to be at the crown lobbies, etc., utilize variations of the typical
constructability issue is the ability to extend of the tallest building in the world. panel. The typical curtain wall is designed to
the concrete and climbing form as high a high-performance criterion, that includes
and as continuously as possible, having no Exterior Wall thermally broken aluminum frames, high-
transfers. In that regard, concrete vertical performance insulating glass, and extensive
walls go up uninterrupted until they stop. The exterior wall or cladding represents a
significant portion of the total investment in areas of insulated spandrel glazing. Although
There are no additional columns at the end the tower looks like a fully glazed building,
of each wing. One of the main structural a building of this type. In order to maintain
costs, a simple, repetitive, easily erected the overall vision glass to spandrel area ratio
components is the stair enclosure, which is actually 50:50.
system needed to be designed. To meet
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Left: The three extended, soft curved canopies. Source: Adrian
Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
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“The intent of the Kingdom Tower design process was to channel the cultural, site, and
temporal forces in order to create a structure sensitive to the client’s culture and location
as well as this pivotal moment in the Kingdom’s history and the history of architecture
and engineering.”
considered and added in the next phase of and accepted methods, processes, or unprecedented success. Petronas Tower in
Kingdom Tower development to address technologies. Every team involved needs to Kuala Lumpur, Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai,
harvesting of concentrated sun rays and challenge its past experience and go further. and Burj Khalifa in Dubai have elevated
their use in energy production. Design architects have in their hands the their cities, countries, and regions to
opportunity to be at the forefront of their new heights. Projects of the nature of
Final Notes profession. As they develop the design, Kingdom Tower will redefine their local
The intent of the Kingdom Tower design they will face forces that will add risk to and regional environments, will create jobs
process was to channel the cultural, site, the project at every corner. The success of and opportunities, and will become the
and temporal forces in order to create a such endeavors will always depend on the central piece of a new urban center. As such,
structure sensitive to the client’s culture clear-minded decision of an ambitious client iconic buildings as Kingdom Tower help to
and location as well as this pivotal moment with the support of a visionary architect transform and urbanize communities and in
in the Kingdom’s history and the history of and the best teams in every discipline. The doing so, contain suburban sprawl and add
architecture and engineering. contractor will have to work efficiently based to densification with their inherent benefits.
on the roadmap traced by architects and
Designing the world’s tallest building consultants and also advance their trade
is by its very nature an unprecedented beyond the current norm.
task. It requires an open mind in search of
the optimal solution for every challenge, These major ambitious steps have
even if it means going beyond the proven been taken before and they have had
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