Basra, Iraq, is known as “the bride of the gulf” after its life-supporting fertile lands, and building vertically is one way to protect those lands.
The planned Bride vertical city will cover 1,550,000 m2 and rise to a world record height of 1,152 m. It is designed by British-Iraqi architectural firm AMBS and will have its own neighbourhoods, schools, clinics and transport system.
AMBS says the design seeks to “break new ground in all disciplines of engineering, from structures to vertical transportation and services.” To begin with, it actually comprises four towers, ranging in height from 244 m to 964 m, joined by a series of “sky gardens” and “sky squares.” This gives the structure far more routes of access and escape than a conventional tower and makes it more stable.
Director of AMBS Marcos De Andres says the masterplan for Basra, with the Bride as its centrepiece, was approved last year. There is no start or completion date set for the project currently, but it is expected to move forward once economic conditions in the region are more favourable.
