Huge cuboid skyscraper “big enough to hold 20 Empire State Buildings”

Saudi Arabia is experiencing an unprecedented construction boom at the moment. Alongside its previously announced 170-km-long skyscraper and Qiddiya gigaproject, comes another incredibly ambitious project named the Mukaab. It will comprise a huge cuboid supertall skyscraper that hosts a twisting tower inside.

The Mukaab will reach a height of 400 m (1,312 ft), which puts it at around 41 in the world’s tallest rankings. However, it will also be just as long and wide, which makes it truly massive. Its decorative exterior is inspired by traditional Islamic architecture and it will be topped by a rooftop garden.

Its cavernous interior will have a floorspace of around 2 square kilometers (0.77 square miles), which the Saudi Government’s Public Investment Fund says would be theoretically large enough to hold 20 Empire State Buildings. Beyond its sheer size though, the most interesting thing about its interior is the large twisting tower that will be positioned at its center – think of it like a big box with a tower inside, essentially.

“[The Mukaab] will encompass a tower atop a spiral base which will be a premium hospitality destination with a multitude of retail, cultural and tourist attractions, along with residential and hotel units, commercial spaces, and recreational facilities,” explained the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Elsewhere inside, the Mukaab will also feature some kind of holographic experience that will reportedly be used to depict underwater and strange otherworldly scenes. It’s all very ambitious and futuristic.

The Mukaab will be the centerpiece of a larger development in Riyadh called New Murabba that will involve the construction of thousands of new homes, hotels, and retail spaces, as well as offices and leisure facilities, an immersive theater, and a technology and design university.

The project is being handled by the New Murabba Development Company, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman heading it. It’s expected to be completed by 2030. The video below offers some more details on its design.

Sources: New Murabba Development Company, Public Investment Fund