The Line, as the car-free linear city that will form the backbone of Neom is known, could cost up to $200 billion to build, the prince said last year, though that was before the plan changed to include gigantic horizontal buildings.
The buildings would be “different heights as you go,” adapting to the landscape, with their final size determined by engineering considerations and the terrain, Al-Nasr said.
— Bloomberg
The OPEC nation has thus far been mum as to the new plan’s details but says it will be funded in part through an increase in surplus revenues overseen by the Public Investment Fund, which is managed by NEOM’s CEO Al-Nasr. It is yet unclear whether Bechtel, who previously signed on their servicesfor the then-estimated $500 billion venture’s light rail and utility systems, will remain on for the project’s updated version, wherein Morphosis and designer Thom Mayne will deliver two parallel 1,640-foot-tall structures said to stretch from the Red Sea into the desert ar lengths of up to half a mile.
The mixed-use designs featured by the scheme could count as the world’s largest when all is said and done for the still highly-theoretical autonomous city, which may eventually be the same size as Massachusetts. Concerns over Al-Nasr’s toxic management style have come into the spotlight as the construction draws nearer, leading to the earlier resignation of advisor Norman Foster and rumored departure of several other international contractors, who are apparently not in favor of the country’s well-documented association with labor abuses. In the past, the country's de facto leader Mohammad bin Salman has stated his personal hopes that the development will eventually feature an artificial moon and flying cars.
10 Comments
shameful
Morphosis always teaches masterplan in a way that they need to get the whole project , lets see how it goes
Great job Thom. Now, how will you get the blood off your hands, asshole?
Morphosis growing up is a sight to behold. Quite a journey as Thom Mayne went from a renegade battling with clients and insolvency to running a mature firm known for its 'house style" and preaching green design all over the world. There's nothing inherently bad with the start or end of the journey - a business grows in tandem with its environment and the aspirations of its founder after all - but it's interesting how some of his LA contemporaries remained relatively local (Moss) while others grew big way earlier (Gehry). That relentless (and financially unsound I guess) exploration of Morphosis' early years have developed into a distinct style of sharp swooshes and cold metal folds.
The Saudi’s are on of the worst regimes on earth. Everyone would know that if our government wasn’t simpin for that crude
8th wonder if the world. Indeed, one could wonder why the Saudis are doing this. Another extreme example of “you do it because you can”.
wish we could build outrageous shit in the usa but our rich people suck
ohhh, look, here comes the human rights abuse, who would have thought ?
As a ucb transfer 3,67 gpa having (por) tmayne I’d select to work on the line with morposis\som. UC System Lilia Elias (handshake) has connected me with internships in the AUD. I have an registered account with UCLA Career Center already candidates wanting to work full-time from>pdc.
Ok there.... Mr unlicensed "architect". If you knew how to apply for jobs, maybe you'd actually be a real architect by now.
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