Plenary 2: Developing Tall in the International Context

H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Shaikh
Dep. Mnst. for Town Planning
MOMRA, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah

Mounib Hammoud
CEO
Jeddah Economic Company, Jeddah

Jeddah Economic Company's mission to envision, to design, to build, and to manage – in short, to master plan in the fullest sense – an unprecedentedly vibrant urban center is discussed. Kingdom Tower will establish the city of Jeddah as a functional equal on the international scene of great modern urbanization, alongside the best new cities of the region and the world.

H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Shaikh
Dep. Mnst. for Town Planning
MOMRA, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah

Mounib Hammoud
CEO
Jeddah Economic Company, Jeddah

Jeddah Economic Company's mission to envision, to design, to build, and to manage – in short, to master plan in the fullest sense – an unprecedentedly vibrant urban center is discussed. Kingdom Tower will establish the city of Jeddah as a functional equal on the international scene of great modern urbanization, alongside the best new cities of the region and the world.

Video of this presentation will be posted here soon.

Irvine Sellar
Founder
Sellar Property Group, London

London is considered one of the world’s safest harbors for investment capital. However, it has also been one of the lightning rods in the rapidly developing debate over the influence of global capital on the built environment. To say that some tall buildings have recently been controversial is an understatement. But amidst this, it is worth knowing in more detail how the UK’s tallest building, and one that is very much emblematic, and complementary of London, came to be. This is the story of the Shard.

Sorapoj Techakraisri
CEO
PACE Development Corporation Plc., Bangkok

As Thailand becomes an increasingly important economic force in Asia, the quality of its architecture has risen to match the expectations of an increasingly sophisticated clientele. MahaNakhon, a 314-meter, mixed-use tower, will be the tallest building in the country and command its highest rents. The international design and development team has created a project that is optimized for the tropical climate of Bangkok, and introduces a level of international design quality previously unseen in the capital. Its “pixelated” design concept affords highly valuable outdoor space to tenants, while breaking down the its mass so as to better integrate with the urban fabric. Importantly, the project also addresses the city’s notoriously congested traffic conditions and its lack of open spaces by connecting directly to the SkyTrain rapid transit system, and by using its design to return part of the property to public use.