Saudi Arabia recently announced plans for an ambitious urban project called The Line—a one-building city in the desert that will stretch 170 kilometers (106 miles) long and only 200 meters (656 feet) wide.
Part of a mega-development dubbed Neom, The Line reportedly will house 9 million residents on a footprint of just 34 square kilometers (13 square miles). “This will reduce the infrastructure footprint and create never-before-seen efficiencies in city functions,” according to an official statement. The narrow footprint will preserve 95% of the Neom development’s land.
The Line’s design aims to challenge the traditional design of urban environments. Unlike cities that comprise horizontal buildings spread across fairly flat terrains, The Line will vertically layer homes, schools, workplaces, public parks, and pedestrian areas. This design will allow residents to access all of the structure’s facilities within a five-minute walk. In addition, a high-speed rail will allow occupants to travel from one end of The Line to the other in only 20 minutes.
“The designs revealed today for the city’s vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also chair of the Neom board of directors, said in the July 25 statement. “The Line will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live.”
At 500 meters above sea level, The Line also will boast a mirror façade that reflects the desert, blending the building with the surrounding landscape. With a year-round controlled climate, the Line also intends to run on entirely renewable energy.
Related Stories
| Feb 14, 2012
Thornton Tomasetti names Al Hashimi vice president for its Middle East Operations
Al Hashimi is joining the company to help expand Thornton Tomasetti’s business in the region and support clients locally.
| Feb 8, 2012
World’s tallest solar PV-installation
The solar array is at the elevation of 737 feet, making the building the tallest in the world with a solar PV-installation on its roof.
| Jan 30, 2012
Hollister Construction Services to renovate 30 Montgomery Street in Jersey City, N.J.
Owner Onyx Equities hires firm to oversee comprehensive upgrades of office building.
| Jan 16, 2012
Mid-Continent Tower wins 25 Year Award from AIA Eastern Oklahoma
Designed by Dewberry, iconic tower defines Tulsa’s skyline.
| Jan 4, 2012
Shawmut Design & Construction awarded dorm renovations at Brown University
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2012, and will be completed by December 2012.
| Jan 3, 2012
Rental Renaissance, The Rebirth of the Apartment Market
Across much of the U.S., apartment rents are rising, vacancy rates are falling. In just about every major urban area, new multifamily rental projects and major renovations are coming online. It may be too soon to pronounce the rental market fully recovered, but the trend is promising.
| Dec 27, 2011
Ground broken for adaptive reuse project
Located on the Garden State Parkway, the master-planned project initially includes the conversion of a 114-year-old, 365,000-square-foot, six-story warehouse building into 361 loft-style apartments, and the creation of a three-level parking facility.
| Dec 21, 2011
BBI key to Philly high-rise renovation
The 200,000 sf building was recently outfitted with a new HVAC system and a state-of-the-art window retrofitting system.
| Dec 19, 2011
Chicago’s Aqua Tower wins international design award
Aqua was named both regional and international winner of the International Property Award as Best Residential High-Rise Development.
| Dec 14, 2011
Belfer Research Building tops out in New York
Hundreds of construction trades people celebrate reaching the top of concrete structure for facility that will accelerate treatments and cures at world-renowned institution.
