AFRICA’S third tallest skyscraper has officially opened just across the Strait of Gibraltar in Morocco.
But it is unlikely the Spanish-designed tower will be visible across the Mediterranean, despite its huge 250-metre height.
The newly completed Mohammed VI Tower sits on the banks of the Bou Regreg river between the capital of Rabat and Sale.
That makes it the tallest building in Morocco and only behind the Great Mosque of Algiers and Egypt’s Iconic Tower.
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Designed by Madrid architecture studio Rafael de La-Hoz alongside Moroccan architect Hakim Benjelloun, the skyscraper has a sleek rocket-inspired shape and rises 55 storeys.
Named after King Mohammed VI, who has reigned since 1999, the tower includes offices, luxury apartments, exhibition spaces, restaurants, an observatory and a Waldorf Astoria hotel.
Construction first began in 2017 under the direction of Moroccan billionaire and Bank of Africa chief Othman Benjelloun.
The project was developed through O Tower, part of his wider O Capital Group.
One of the building’s standout features is its south-facing photovoltaic double skin facade, designed to generate solar energy while helping regulate temperatures inside.
French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon created the interiors using white marble, brushed brass, leather, ceramic zellige tiles and wood panelling.
The Mohammed VI Tower has overtaken the famous Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca as Morocco’s tallest building.
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