World’s tallest skyscraper would reach 2.5 miles high and house 1m residents | World | News

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa currently holds the record for the world’s tallest building, but a concept dreamed up three decades ago could eclipse it by five floors if realized.

First revealed in 1995, the design known as the X-Seed 4000 could easily claim the title of tallest skyscraper ever built. It is projected to rise a staggering 4 km (or 13,123 ft/2.5 miles) into the sky, reaching almost half the height of Mount Everest.

It has been reported that the Japanese construction giant Taisei Corporation behind the project envisions the project to be located above Tokyo Bay, and other Asian locations have also been discussed as potential areas.

This extraordinarily bold venture housed between 500,000 and one million residents across its 800 floors.

An estimated 3,000,000 tons of steel were required for this massive effort, and internal air pressure systems were considered as a way to prevent altitude-related health problems among residents.

The 6-kilometer-wide floating city, which was recently discussed on LinkedIn, was reviewed by Reuben Petty, who shed light on the vision that was never realized.

He explained: “Its shape was inspired by Mount Fuji, with a broad, stable base gradually tapering towards a majestic peak. This pyramidal shape was not purely aesthetic; it was intended to provide structural stability against ocean forces and potential seismic activity, which is a major concern in the Tokyo Bay area.”

The visionaries behind it imagined that it would be a self-sustaining artificial island supported by floating caissons.

More than just residential units, the audacious proposal was for the city to operate as a full-fledged city in itself, incorporating corporate headquarters, retail, entertainment venues and scientific institutions.

Rumors emerged in 2007 suggesting that Taisei was planning to move forward with the bold project, but these claims were quickly denied.

George Blinder, managing director of Buildings and Data, explained at the time: “It was never planned to be built. The aim of the scheme was to get some recognition for the firm and it worked.”

Taisei planning manager Shohei Ogawa confirmed that the skyscraper was no longer being pursued, saying the X-Seed 4000 was “currently on the shelf”.

He added: “It was our dream bid for technological advances that we thought might happen in the future.”

Erik Howeler, architect and author of Skyscraper: Vertical Now, told Architectural Record that building such a tall structure is “feasible” from an engineering standpoint.

But from a practical perspective, he felt that the estimated $1 trillion cost, as well as obtaining permits to build such a massive building, would be prohibitive. He added: “Tall buildings create a downward draft at their bases and cast long shadows.”

The plan, which triggered security and environmental discussions, became a popular topic on Reddit. One user made a comparison to a video game, saying: “This looks exactly like the city seen in the high charity mission in Halo 2.”

Another compared the film to a blockbuster, commenting: “This really is the star harvester from Transformers 2.”

A third expressed concerns about practicality, saying: “Imagine the elevator doesn’t work and you live on the 657th floor.”

Meanwhile, one person disputed the wisdom of the project, adding: “Oh yeah, let’s waste resources to build a huge building.”