Middle East Development, a Dubai-based company, has announced plans to build Africa's tallest skyscraper. Designed by Paris-based Valode & Pistre, Al Noor Tower will be built in Casablanca, Morocco, and will include a five-star hotel, offices, business center, and shopping mall, according to ArchDaily.
Al Noor will stand 540 meters tall, more than double the height of Johannesburg's 223-meter Carlton Center, currently the tallest building on the continent.
The $1 billion tower will have 114 stories, alluding to the 114 chapters of the Koran.
On the project's website, the development team describes the design inspiration:
"The design of Al Noor Tower is elegant and gives the feeling of a wedding dress. From the side, the tower look like a fountain pen, which is the tool that Sheikh Tarek [Chairman of Middle East Development] is using to design the future. The height of the tower is 540 meters to remind us that Africa has 54 countries. Everyone in Africa will feel part of that tower."
The tower is slated for completion in 2018.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Feb 8, 2019
Dubai’s newest supertall will be covered in digital displays
SOM designed the tower.
High-rise Construction | Jan 18, 2019
‘Paramount’ will become Nashville’s tallest tower
Goettsch Partners is the project’s architect.
High-rise Construction | Jan 14, 2019
AS+GG-designed tower will be the tallest in China
The tower is at the center of the Shimao Longgang Master Plan.
High-rise Construction | Jan 10, 2019
Indoor-outdoor amenities open leasing value at a San Francisco skyscraper
The amenities that set this 605-foot-tall building apart are its 50,000 sf of outdoor and open spaces that include 14 skydecks and large terraces on its 12th and 28th floors.
High-rise Construction | Dec 13, 2018
Record number of 'supertall' towers were completed in 2018
Citic Tower in Beijing and Vincom Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City are among 18 "supertall" skyscrapers completed this year—a record number, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
High-rise Construction | Aug 27, 2018
The world’s tallest buildings with dampers
The CTBUH created the list as part of a recent study.
High-rise Construction | Aug 8, 2018
Bjarke Ingels Group’s new Shenzhen tower includes a folded building envelope
The new skyscraper is the home of Shenzhen Energy Company.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 7, 2018
Even after redevelopment, the iconic 'Chicago Tribune' sign will remain at 435 N. Michigan Ave.
The newspaper and the building's new owners reached a settlement.
Lighting | Aug 1, 2018
Willis Tower upgrades antenna lighting
The new lights will save Willis Tower more than 70% in antenna-lighting energy costs.
High-rise Construction | Jul 31, 2018
A 350-foot waterfall splashes down from a skyscraper in China
The tower is located in Guiyang’s central business district.
