Ground has been broken on the Santiago Calatrava-designed world's tallest skyscraper, which is scheduled to open in 2020.

The groundbreaking ceremony, which took place this week in Dubai’s Creek Harbour development, marks the start of construction for a building that will top the city’s own Burj Khalifa, giving it the record of world’s tallest tower.

Emaar Properties and Dubai Holdings are behind the US$1bn (€910m, £823m) plans, which were officially unveiled the in April this year.

Named “The Tower”, the skyscraper will feature “The Pinnacle Room” – an observation deck with rotating balconies and landscaping inspired by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon, with Islamic architecture meeting modern, sustainable design.

The tower itself – which will exceed 828m (2,700ft) in height – will be supported by by an intricate network of cables, descending down its entire length. These have a double purpose as at night they will light up using both dynamic illumination and movement lighting.

“The design and architectural features of The Tower demand unique engineering approaches that are currently being implemented on site,” said Calatrava. “Extensive studies were undertaken in preparation for the groundbreaking, and the learning that we have gained from the experience will add to the knowledge base of mankind.”

Surrounding the tower will be the Creek Harbour development, which will comprise a 6sq km “mini-metropolis” with 22 hotels, a retail precinct, a yacht club, cultural amenities, educational facilities, thousands of new homes and “the tallest twin towers in the world”. Calatrava’s building has been touted as the Creek’s centrepiece, and is scheduled to open by the time Dubai hosts the 2020 World Expo.