What is interesting in the world of architecture throughout 2024? The answer is that more and more ultra-mega projects are being announced and construction has begun in Saudi Arabia. There is a race to build the biggest, tallest, longest and deepest building in the country. But there are also several other projects in other locations around the world, for example, the opening of the world's second tallest building in Kuala Lumpur in January. Here is a list of the 10 most interesting architecture news of 2024.
1. World's Second Tallest Building Merdeka 118 Officially Opened
Merdeka 118 – Photo by PNB Merdeka Ventures
The Merdeka 118 building was finally officially opened by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in early January. It now holds the status of the world's second tallest building with a height of 678.9 meters and has 118 floors. For comparison, the world's tallest tower Burj Khalifa is 828 meters high and has 163 floors.
This also means that Merdeka 118 is the tallest building in Malaysia, surpassing Exchange 106 (453.6 meters) and the tallest in Asia, surpassing Shanghai Tower (632 meters). The Merdeka 118 building is owned by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) and its construction began in July 2014 and will be completed by the end of 2023. The construction process was delayed due to the pandemic, causing it to open later than the original date of 2022.
It has a floor area of 400,000 square meters that houses office space, a shopping mall and a hotel. The construction cost is around RM5 billion.
2. World's Largest Solar Farm, 100,000 Football Fields, Opens in China
Photo – Xinhua
The world's largest solar power farm began operations in Xinjiang, China in June. It has an output capacity of 5GW and covers an area of 200,000 acres and produces 6.09 billion kWh of electricity annually. This is equivalent to almost 100,000 football fields and meets 4% of Malaysia's annual energy needs.
The location of the farm is near Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang in the desert. The previous record was held by the Golmud Wutumeiren solar complex also located in China with a capacity of 3GW. China is the fastest growing country in developing solar farms to meet its target of becoming a carbon neutral country by 2060.
This is also one of the reasons why China is now leading the world in the production and use of EVs. This is part of an effort to remove China's label as a polluting country because it has been the world's factory since the 1990s.
3. This 122-Storey Building in Dubai Will Have the World's Tallest Tropical Forest
Tropical rain is a common thing for us. But in the middle of the arid desert of Dubai it is an experience that can be classified as exotic. Tiger Sky Tower is a 122-window tower that when completed will house the world's tallest tropical forest.
Tiger Sky Tower is currently under construction with 849 residential units in a building 532 meters high. This makes it taller than the Petronas Twin Towers which are 452 meters tall.
The tropical forest platform will be placed at a height of 447 meters and will also house a suspension bridge on the canopy. To make it even more unique, Tiger Sky Tower will also house a restaurant and the world's highest infinity pool. The construction of this residential building is expected to be fully completed in 2029.
4. The Deepest Underground Building to Be Built in Saudi Arabia
Not content with the longest and tallest building, the Aquellum Project in Neom, Saudi Arabia will be the deepest "inverted tower" in the world. A 100-meter-deep void will be the attraction of Aquellum, which is built above the sea.
At the top there is a floating pedestrian area and marina. While inside there is a hotel, cinema, museum and The Generator research laboratory to generate new ideas. A large lobby in the middle of Aquellum will be a visitor attraction because there is no other building like it in the world.
The LAVA and Name Architecture firms are involved in the project, the construction date and when it is expected to be completed have not been announced. In short, if you used to want to see unique architectural projects you had to go to Dubai, now you only have to go to Neom.
5. Discovery City Is Zaha Hadid's Sustainable Futuristic City in Johor
Johor is enjoying an era of technological advancement after several major investments made by global companies such as NVIDIA. With the formation of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) last year, more and more technology-based developments will be announced. Recently, Discovery City was announced by the firm Zaha Hadid Architects and it will be a sustainable technology hub.
Discovery City will be built on an area of 582 acres within the 7290-acre Ibrahim Technolopolis (IBTEC). This is the first project of the renowned firm Zaha Hadid Architects in Malaysia, which has a reputation for building buildings that are not only futuristic but also focus on sustainable development.
IBTEC is a circular city with a gross development value (GDV) of up to RM27 billion when completed. Due to its status under the JS-SEZ, the travel of workers from Johor and Singapore will be made easier using the QR code system, thus solving the current congestion experienced when crossing the causeway.
The project will involve JLand Group Sdn Bhd while HIJJAS Architects and Planners will be the local project architects and AJM-Planning and Urban Design Group Sdn Bhd (APUDG) will be the local master planner. The date when the Discovery City project will start and is expected to be completed has not been announced at this time.
6. Construction of the World's Largest Cube Building Begins in Riyadh
We are back in Saudi Arabia. Last year we reported on the controversial Mukaab project, which was seen as an insult to the holy Muslim qibla.
Despite the project receiving negative reactions from Muslims around the world, construction of Mukaab began in Riyadh two months ago. So far, 10 million cubic meters of soil have been removed to build the Mukaab foundation, involving 900 workers.
When completed, Mukaab will be the world's largest cube-shaped building with dimensions of 400x400x400 meters. This is large enough to accommodate 20 Empire State buildings. Inside Mukaab, which means cube in Arabic, there is a tower that will be a place for residence, shopping, tourism, and business. The tower has a floor area of 2 million square meters.
The tower will be covered by a giant screen that can display various outdoor scenes because Mukaab has no windows. Therefore, the views of residents inside the tower can change according to the season, time and weather.
7. World's Tallest Residential Building to Be Built in Brazil
The world's tallest building will be built in Saudi Arabia and the world's two tallest buildings will be located in Dubai. But the tallest record is not the monopoly of the Middle Eastern country. The Senna Tower to be built in Brazil will be the world's tallest residential building when it is completed.
The Senna Tower will be built in Santa Catarina, Brazil with a height of 500 meters. The entire building will be a residential place only, which distinguishes it from the Burj Khalifa which houses hotels, offices and also a shopping center.
The building will be a monument to F1 legend Ayrton Senna who died in 1994 and was designed by Lalalli Senna who was the nephew of the late. It will house 228 residential units with a special space showing Ayrton Senna's achievements that is open to the public.
When the building will be built and completed has not yet been announced. But the construction cost is estimated to reach BRL 3 billion (~RM 2.32 billion).
8. Saudi Arabia Wants to Build a Stadium on a 350-Meter High Building for the 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia has been confirmed to host the 2034 World Cup. Interestingly, the Saudi government wants to build the NEOM Stadium, which is located at a height of 350 meters on top of the world's tallest building, The Line, with a capacity of over 46,000 people.
This stadium will be built in 2027 and fully completed by 2032. Construction of the first phase of The Line has already begun and is expected to be completed in 2030. Because The Line is a city in a building, transportation to the stadium will use a built-in rail system without any use of personal vehicles.
This stadium will have a closed roof that offers a unique walkable game experience because no stadium has ever been built on a building this tall before. The power source will be generated entirely using solar and wind panels to make it a fairly sustainable stadium.
9. Kame Hame Habibi! – Dragon Ball Theme Park to Open in Saudi Arabia
Last March, the world was shocked by the death of Akira Toriyama, the leading mangaka of the Dragon Ball series. A few weeks after his passing, the construction of a Dragon Ball theme park in Saudi Arabia was announced.
The theme park will open in Qiddiya City with an area of 500,000 square meters and will have seven areas themed around the world of Dragon Ball. Among the attractions that will be built are Datuk Kame's house, Beerus' planet and the Capsule Corporation building. Dragon Ball characters from the original manga to the animated series Dragon Ball Super will be seen around the park when it is completed.
There are over 30 attractions in total, five of which can be climbed by visitors. A 70-meter-tall Dragon God statue will also be built to complete the Dragon Ball world experience. When this theme park will open has not been announced at this time. What is certain is that Dragon Ball fans will definitely not miss the opportunity to do the kame hame habibi action in Saudi Arabia later.
10. The World's Largest Football Stadium Looks Like a Giant Tent to Be Built in Morocco
Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. Construction of the infrastructure for this football event has already begun and last August the design of the world's largest football stadium was shown. The Grand Stade Hassan II will have a capacity of 115,000 spectators, allowing it to overtake Camp Nou which can accommodate 105,000 spectators.
What makes this stadium interesting is that it takes inspiration from the Mawsim festival tents celebrated by Moroccans. It is not just an empty design element but will be a canopy that will protect spectators from the hot sun. The stadium was designed by the architectural firm Oualalou + Choi.
Construction has already begun on a 100-hectare site in El Mansouria near the major city of Casablanca. The 2030 World Cup will use 17 stadiums, but the Grand Stade Hassan II is the only new stadium to be built. After the event, it will be used by two Moroccan football league teams.