Saudi Arabian authorities share new details in the construction process of the future super city called The Line.
More than 1,000 of Straight City’s 30,000 foundation piles have been installed to date. Image: Neom
Saudi Arabia updates recent construction progress and the names of the architects responsible for making the desert project a reality, New Atlas reported on November 12. The ultimate goal of the project is to build a 170 km long Straight City, although the initial phase is only 2.4 km long. However, it is still a giant building with a height of 500 m and a width of 200 m. During this period, it will be an air-conditioned city with a capacity of about 300,000 people.
The most famous studio chosen to construct The Line is the American company Gensler, which was in charge of building the Shanghai Tower, the third tallest building in the world. The firm was hired because of its extensive experience in city planning and design coordination. Gensler will also handle transportation hubs and public facilities such as parks and other community areas.
Meanwhile, Austrian architectural firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects was appointed to design the urban area, settling on the general concept and creating detailed sketches for the first phase. They are also responsible for issues related to microclimate, ecology, logistics, mobility and sustainability.
Finally, British company Mott MacDonald joined the project as the city’s infrastructure engineer. This may be the most challenging task of the three because it involves key systems that the future megacity needs to operate smoothly, such as sewers, electricity and water. Saudi Arabian authorities said AI technology and surveillance cameras will also be used to ensure effectiveness.
“Collaboration is at the core of the first phase to demonstrate how innovation can change the way we look at, design and build cities forever,” said Denis Hickey, project development director, said.
Straight cities today use one-fifth of all steel in the world, most of it to lay foundations. More than 120 pillars are buried in the ground every week at the construction site and the first phase of the project is due to be completed by 2030. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, other ambitious projects are also being implemented such as Treyam, Epicon and Mukaab. In addition, the first Neom complex project also recently completed is the luxury island Sindalah.