50
The process for a project of this scale requires the input
of dozens of people working in various units. And it is
through remarkable team effort that Kingdom Tower will
be equipped with state-of-the-art KONE solutions.
Global resources, local assets
Tapping into extensive global resources, KONE played
a strong role in early design talks,” says
Tarek Elnaggar
,
who was head of KONE’s Major Projects Business when
it won the Kingdom Tower order. “Experts from all
over the world collaborated at a high level, winning the
developer’s confidence in the process. We made it
our business to know every detail of the project inside
and out.”
That thoroughness was complemented by full
involvement of the local team. Members of that group
have extensive experience in large projects in Saudi
Arabia, creating a distinct advantage. KONE also took care
to communicate fully with all stakeholders of the project,
not just the customer.
“Through an outstanding relationship, we gained good
insight at every stage about the real focus areas and
needs,” explains
Haytham Halaseh
, Managing Director
of KONE Saudi Arabia.
Future-proof technologies
For a building with such unprecedented height, KONE
will deliver uniquely advanced technology: the world’s
fastest and highest double-deck elevators and the latest
People Flow Intelligence solutions. The double-deck
elevators will travel at more than 10 meters per second,
and at 660 meters, the elevator rise will be the world’s
highest.
Hoisting will be provided by the revolutionary KONE
UltraRope
™
, a new high-rise elevator technology that
is set to break industry limits and enable future elevator
travel heights of up to one kilometer – twice the distance
currently feasible. KONE UltraRope technology eliminates
the disadvantages of conventional steel rope and opens
up a world of possibilities in high-rise building design.
KINGDOM TOWER – JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
The rise of a supertall
Soaring to a height of more than one kilometer, Kingdom Tower will be the tallest building in the world
when completed in 2018. The glittering centerpiece in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will house offices, a hotel
and serviced apartments, luxury condominiums, and the world’s highest observation deck.
Kingdom Tower will be equipped with 57 KONE elevators,
all with tailor-designed car interiors and landing doors.
Intelligent building solutions will include the KONE
Polaris
™
Destination Control System, KONE InfoScreen
displays and the KONE E-Link
™
monitoring system.
“We have been highly impressed with KONE’s innovative
solutions for high-rise buildings,” says
Mounib Hammoud
,
CEO of Jeddah Economic Company. “This is another
cornerstone for a development of this magnitude and
we look forward to creating this landmark building in all
standards.”
© Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture