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The board of directors of NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion flagship project, has confirmed plans to build another ambitious development - a “futuristic” community hidden within a mountain range.
The latest luxury project on the Gulf of Aqaba coastline, dubbed Aquellum, promises to “push the boundaries of conventional design and construction possibilities”, according to a statement on Wednesday.
Described as a “subterranean” and “ultra-luxury upside-down skyscraper”, Aquellum will be built inside a 450-metre mountain range, featuring hotels, apartments, rooftop gardens, cinemas, museums and commercial spaces.
“Aquellum is an ultra-luxury upside-down skyscraper. The façade is facing inwards instead of facing outwards. Things are inside out and upside down,” according to a promotional video.
To reach the hidden community, visitors will have to take a ride aboard a special vessel from the sunken marina and pass through a tunnel. They will then be taken inside an “underwater open square”.
“Visitors will embark on an extraordinary journey, beginning at the world’s first floating marina. Here, guests will board a specially designed vessel to enter Aquellum through a concealed underground canal, unveiling a hidden community that offers an incredible sensory journey,” the statement said.
“Once inside, visitors will be treated to an exhilarating, 100-metre-high vertical experience with an impressive courtyard space stretching from the water to the sky.”
The plan is to build an "omnidirectional internal transit system" that enables guests and residents to access their homes and hotels on the upper floors, as well as the rooftop gardens.
(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Brinda Darasha)
