Africa’s landscapes are transforming and its current tallest building is a huge 400-metre-high skyscraper boasting an incredible 77 floors and it is located at the centre of a new city. The impressive structure named the Iconic Tower, covering more than 265,000 square metres, is located in the New Administrative Capital of Egypt, and was constructed as a wider project to build a new capital city.
Construction of Africa’s tallest skyscraper first started in 2018 and was done by China State Construction Engineering (CSCE). The structural work of the building was completed in 2021, while construction work was completed in 2024. It then offically became Africa’s tallest tower, overtaking the Great Mosque of Algiers Tower in Algeria.
The Iconic Tower was designed by architects from Dar al-Handasah Shair & Partners and inspired by the shape of a pharanoic obelisk – a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal top.
The first 40 levels of the building have been assigned as office spaces for Central Bank of Egypt, the Egyptian stock exchange, as well as major companies.
The remaining space houses luxurious appartments, a five-star hotel, and a viewing deck on the 75th floor. The tower also boasts a number of lesuire areas including spas, swimming pools, a cinema and even a helipad.
Another notable feature is the tower’s LED lights facade that allows the building to be lit up in different colours during the night-time.
Ventiliation was also carefully considered during the construction process. The Iconic Tower features air vents that are designed to rotate depending on where the sun is to ensure temperatures remain cool for those inside.
While the exact construction cost has not be disclosed, the entire New Administrative Capital City project is reported to cost around $45 billion (approx £34 billion).
The planned city which is home to Egypt’s presidental palace, parliment, and the majority of goverment ministries, is expected to house six to seven million people.
The city aimed to alleviate congestetion in Cairo and create a new growth hub will feature a central park, artifical lakes, around 2,000 educational insitutions, a technology and innovation park, 18 hospitals, 1,250 churches and mosques, a 93,440-seat stadium, and major theme park.
