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Excavation has already reached 86% completion and removed 10 million cubic meters of earth; the project will become the icon of the New Murabba district and aims for partial inauguration by 2030.
O faceab is a cubic skyscraper of 400 mx 400 mx 400 m, designed to be the center of the new district New MurabbaOn Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The exceptional volume makes the project stand out as a candidate for largest building in the world by volume when completed.
According to the developer, the work adds up more than 2 million m² of built area and will be the tallest building in the Saudi capital.
Internally, the cube will house a spiral tower surrounded by an immersive atrium. The scale helps to understand the impact: the building would have capacity to hold the equivalent of 20 Empire State Buildings. The design references architecture Najdi local and is signed by AtkinsRealis.
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Fast-paced excavation and massive logistics
The foundation phase is progressing rapidly. 86% of the excavation has already been completed, with more than 10 million m³ of land removed, equivalent to about 4.000 Olympic swimming pools (calculation based on 2.500 m³ per pool). The current goal is to start the main piles after the land preparation.
To reduce urban impact, the developer said it will build a temporary bridge on King Khalid Road, a solution that should cut around 800.000 truck trips on public roads only in land transport. Safety and logistical fluidity are the stated objectives.
Immersive technology as a differentiator
Mukaab was conceived as a destination for immersive experiences. The internal walls will function as high-definition screens, creating “world within the world” scenarios.
In the words of the project's CEO, Michael Dyke"Technically you can sleep in the Serengeti and wake up in New York”. The building must also include hotel, retail, culture and leisure, with operations anchored in digital systems.
Size, function, and icon comparison
With the cube of 400 meters on each side, Mukaab tends to outperform global benchmarks in internal volume, not in height. The central argument is the volumetric capacity and vertical city which contains an entire tower inside.
Market and architecture publications have been reiterating the ambition of making it “the largest building in the world by volume” and the parallel with 20 Empire State Buildings.
A first phase of the New Murabba, of which the Mukaab is a key part, aims 2030, year in which Riyadh will host the Expo 2030, This explains the rush of foundation and mobility work in the surrounding area. At the same time, recent analyses indicate that the complete district can extend up to 2040, beyond the initial horizon of the Vision 2030.
New Murabba: Urban Impact and Project Scale
The urban plan provides for 27 million m² of real estate assets distributed in 18 communities, with a projected population above 400 thousand people and offer of residences, hotels and 500 m² of retail. The Mukaab will be the heart of this ecosystem, concentrating attractions and connectivity to road axes and the future internal transport system.
In your opinion, Mukaab is future vision ou monumental excess? Comment if you see value in a immersive building of this size in downtown Riyadh, or whether the investment makes more sense in distributed urban infrastructure.
I'm here needing only two truckloads of dirt to fill my land...😩
It will certainly greatly reduce the need for large population movements, as it will be a city within a building. But it will require a significant support and control infrastructure for the comfort and satisfaction of the population.
I know pyramids have been out of fashion for millennia, but building a Borg cube in the middle of the desert is pushing it.
#🖖🖖🖖
I liked the Borg cube…..lol