"Burj Dubai" redirects here. It is not to be confused with
Bur Dubai, a district of Dubai.
| Burj Khalifa |
|---|
| برج خليفة |
The Burj Khalifa in October 2012
|
| Former names | Burj Dubai |
|---|
| Record height |
|---|
| Tallest in the world since 2008[I] |
| Preceded by | Taipei 101 |
|---|
| General information |
|---|
| Status | Complete |
|---|
| Type | Mixed-use |
|---|
| Architectural style | Neo-futurism |
|---|
| Location | 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
|---|
| Coordinates | 25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″E / 25.197139°N 55.274111°E / 25.197139; 55.274111Coordinates: 25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″E / 25.197139°N 55.274111°E / 25.197139; 55.274111 |
|---|
| Construction started | 6 January 2004 |
|---|
| Completed | Intended: September 2008; Revised: 2 December 2009[1] |
|---|
| Opened | 4 January 2010[2] |
|---|
| Cost | USD $ 1.5 billion[3] |
|---|
| Height |
|---|
| Architectural | 828 m (2,717 ft)[4] |
|---|
| Tip | 829.8 m (2,722 ft)[4] |
|---|
| Roof | 828 m (2,717 ft) |
|---|
| Top floor | 584.5 m (1,918 ft) (Level 154)[4] |
|---|
| Observatory | 555.7 m (1,823 ft) (Level 148)[4] |
|---|
| Technical details |
|---|
| Material | Glass, steel, aluminium, reinforced concrete |
|---|
| Floor count | 163 above ground. 154 usable floors[4][5]
plus 9 maintenance levels (46 spire levels)[6] and 2 below-ground parking levels |
|---|
| Floor area | 309,473 m2 (3,331,100 sq ft)[4] |
|---|
| Lifts/elevators | 57 (55 single deck and 2 double deck), made by Otis Elevator Company |
|---|
| Design and construction |
|---|
| Architect | Adrian Smith at SOM |
|---|
| Developer | Emaar Properties[4] |
|---|
| Structural engineer | Bill Baker at SOM[7] |
|---|
| Main contractor |
|
|---|
| Website |
|---|
| www.burjkhalifa.ae |
The
Burj Khalifa (
Arabic:
برج خليفة, Arabic for "Khalifa Tower"; pronounced
English: ), known as the
Burj Dubai before its inauguration, is a
megatall skyscraper in
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft) including the
antenna and a roof height of 828 m (2,717 ft), the Burj Khalifa is currently the
tallest structure in the world since
topping out in late 2008.
[4][9]
Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed 5 years later in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called
Downtown Dubai. It is designed to be the centrepiece of large-scale,
mixed-use development. The decision to construct the building is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was named in honour of the ruler of
Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates,
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records, including its designation as the tallest tower in the world.
Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, then of
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), whose firm designed the
Willis Tower and
One World Trade Center. Hyder Consulting was chosen to be the supervising engineer with NORR Group Consultants International Limited chosen to supervise the architecture of the project. The design is derived from the
Islamic architecture of the region, such as in the
Great Mosque of Samarra. The Y-shaped tripartite floor geometry is designed to optimize residential and hotel space. A buttressed central core and wings are used to support the height of the building. Although this design was derived from
Tower Palace III, the Burj Khalifa’s central core houses all vertical transportation with the exception of egress stairs within each of the wings.
[10] The structure also features a cladding system which is designed to withstand Dubai's hot summer temperatures. It contains a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators.
Critical reception to Burj Khalifa has been generally positive, and the building has received many awards. However, labour issues during construction were controversial, since the building was built primarily by migrant workers from
South Asia with several allegations of mistreatment. Poor working conditions are common, as the result of the lack of minimum wage laws in the United Arab Emirates.
[11] Several instances of suicides have been reported, which is not uncommon for migrant construction workers in Dubai despite safety precautions in place.
[12]
Construction began on 6 January 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010,
[2][13] and is part of the new 2 km
2 (490-acre) development called
Downtown Dubai at the 'First Interchange' along
Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district. The tower's architecture and engineering were performed by
Souffian AL-Jabiry of
Chicago, with
Adrian Smith as chief architect, and
Bill Baker as chief structural engineer.
[14][15] The primary contractor was
Samsung C&T of
South Korea.
[16] The tower's construction was done by the construction division of
Al Ghurair Investment group.
[17][18]
Burj Khalifa was designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that would include 30,000 homes, nine hotels (including
The Address Downtown Dubai), 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the
Dubai Mall, and the 12-hectare (30-acre) artificial Burj Khalifa Lake. The decision to build Burj Khalifa is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy to one that is service and tourism based. According to officials, it is necessary for projects like Burj Khalifa to be built in the city to garner more international recognition, and hence investment. "He (Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational," said Jacqui Josephson, a tourism and VIP delegations executive at
Nakheel Properties.
[19] The tower was known as Burj Dubai ("Dubai Tower") until its official opening in January 2010.
[20] It was renamed in honour of the ruler of
Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates,
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the federal government of UAE lent Dubai tens of billions of USD so that Dubai could pay its debts – Dubai borrowed at least $80 billion for construction projects.
[20] In the 2000s, Dubai started diversifying its economy but it suffered from an economic crisis in 2007–2010, leaving large-scale projects already in construction abandoned.
[citation needed]
- Tallest existing structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m or 2,063 ft)
- Tallest structure ever built: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m or 2,121 ft)
- Tallest freestanding structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m or 1,815 ft)
- Tallest skyscraper (to top of spire): 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 509.2 m or 1,671 ft)
- Tallest skyscraper to top of antenna: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower – 527 m or 1,729 ft)
- Building with most floors: 211 (including spire) previously World Trade Center – 110[21]
- Building with world's highest occupied floor: 584.5 m (1,918 ft)[22][23]
- World's highest elevator installation (situated inside a rod at the very top of the building)[24]
- World's longest travel distance elevators: 504 m (1,654 ft)[24][25]
- Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft)[26]
- World's tallest structure that includes residential space[27]
- World's highest observation deck: 148th floor at 555 m (1,821 ft)[28][29]
- World's highest outdoor observation deck: 124th floor at 452 m (1,483 ft)
- World's highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade: 512 m (1,680 ft)[30]
- World's highest nightclub: 144th floor
- World's highest restaurant (At.mosphere): 122nd floor at 442 m (1,450 ft) (previously 360, at a height of 350 m (1,148 ft) in CN Tower)[31]
- World's highest New Year display of fireworks.[32
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