KARACHI – As of right now, Bahria Town Icon (938 feet) is the tallest building in Pakistan. It stands 62 stories tall, with ten floors floors for offices and 40 floors for apartments. It is also hope to Pakistan’s highest terraced restaurant, the Altitude.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Over 100 high-rises are currently under construction, that will raise the altitude of Karachi to never-before-seen heights.
One of these construction projects is Sky Gardens that will reach a height of 53 stories and comprise twin towers; one 53 stories and the other 29 stories. The project is being developed by Bibojee Services Private Limited, who have delivered various exclusive projects in Karachi and Lahore.
Karachi will have well and truly made its mark after the completion of ‘Bahria Town Island City Karachi.’ This ambitiously designed residential project is a purpose-built master plan. Global investors are keen to follow its development closely with its lofty goals of building the world’s tallest building and the world’s largest shopping centre. The US$ 20 billion island will connect to DHA Karachi via a 3.5km six-lane international standard bridge over the Arabian Sea.
In 2018, Karachi will have a designer 120-meter skyscraper Ocean Heights. Ocean Group will project manage the showcase piece that has real estate moguls in a frenzy. When finished, it will be one of Pakistan’s tallest residential buildings.
The race to the top is good news for Pakistan’s cement industry that recently recorded its highest ever capacity utilization of 98.61 percent or 3.749 million tons of cement in November 2016. Domestic consumption grew 11.5 percent year on year, and the ongoing development of skyscrapers is positive news for the industry.
Race to the top
The Burj Khalifa standing at 2,723 feet is the world’s tallest building, but watch this space. Two mega-towers are currently under construction in the Middle East: ‘The Tower’ at Dubai Creek Harbor which will be built to a staggering 3,045 feet and will claim the title of world’s tallest when completed. But, they will need to start building quickly if they want to hold that title for long, as the US$1.2 billion Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is coming soon and will be a giant. It is expected to hit 3,280 feet including a 200-room Four Seasons Hotel,121 serviced apartments, and 360 residential apartments.
That smashes the height of Europe’s largest start-up campus in Berlin that reaches a mere 81.5 meters. It has a unique award-winning design and is home to some of the world’s fastest growing startups like Lamudi and Delivery Hero.
