Figure 5. Kingdom Tower raft section
Tower Form, Culture, Site, and Location
As part of a performative design process, any solution should reflect a specific culture, location and time:
In the case of Kingdom Tower, the solution reflects the desire of Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) and the leaders of Saudi Arabia to show the world the potential of their vision of the Kingdom as an increasingly important, vital, and thriving member of the international community. It is also rooted in the desert landscape. The sleek, streamlined form of the tower can be interpreted as a reference to the folded fronds of a growing young desert plant. The way the fronds sprout upward from the ground as a single form, then start separating from each other at the top, is an analogy of new growth fused with technology. As AS+GG partner Gordon Gill explains: “the tower evokes a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground – a burst of new life that heralds more growth all around it. This symbolizes the tower as a catalyst for increased development around it.”
Source: http://defence.pk/threads/ksa-kingdom-tower-mile-high-tower.236650/page-8#ixzz40opmBlN3