The Burj Khalifa (earlier known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010) is an iconic skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Spanning a total roof height of 829.8m (2,722 ft) (excluding antenna, but including a 244 m spire), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since 2009.
Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed five years later in 2009. The building was opened in 2010 and was designed to be the centerpiece of large-scale, mixed-use development called Downtown Dubai. The decision to construct this ultra-tall building is based on the government’s decision for Dubai to gain international recognition on a global front and wanting to put Dubai on the map with something “really sensational”. The building was originally named Burj Dubai but was renamed in honour of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, whose firm had earlier designed the Willis Tower and One World Trade Center. The design is derived from the Islamic architecture of the Arab region. 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. 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. The exterior temperature at the top of the building is thought to be 6 °C (11 °F) cooler than at its base.
A 304-room Armani Hotel, the first of four by Armani, occupies 15 of the lower 39 floors. The hotel was opened to the public on 27 April 2010. The sky lobbies on the 43rd and 76th floors house swimming pools. Floors through to 108 have 900 private residential apartments (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of the launch). An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool is located on the 76th floor of the tower. Corporate offices and suites fill most of the remaining floors, except for the 122nd, 123rd and 124th, where the At.mosphere restaurant, sky lobby and an indoor and outdoor observation deck are located respectively.
The building has 57 elevators and 8 escalators. The elevators have a capacity of 12 to 14 people per cabin, the fastest rising and descending at up to 10 m/s (33 ft/s) for double-deck elevators. The building has 2,909 stairs from the ground floor to the 160th floor.
An outdoor observation deck, named At the Top, opened on 5 January 2010 on the 124th floor. At 452 m (1,483 ft), it was the highest outdoor observation deck in the world when it opened. Burj Khalifa opened the 148th floor SKY level at 555 m (1,821 ft), once again giving it the highest observation deck in the world on 15 October 2014. The 124th floor observation deck also features the electronic telescope, an augmented reality device, which allows visitors to view the surrounding landscape in real-time, and to view previously saved images such as those taken at different times of day or under different weather conditions.
Development
- Construction began on 6th January 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1st October 2009. The building officially opened on 4th January 2010.
- Burj Khalifa is part of the 2 km (490-acre) Downtown Dubai development at the ‘First Interchange’ along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai’s main business district.
- Burj Khalifa was designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development to include 30,000 homes, nine hotels, 7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential skyscrapers, the Dubai Mall, and the 30-acre) artificial Burj Khalifa Lake.
- The tower’s architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago, with Adrian Smith as chief architect, and Bill Baker as chief structural engineer. The primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea.
- The spire of Burj Khalifa is composed of more than 4,000 tons (4,400 short tons; 3,900 long tons) of structural steel. The central pinnacle pipe weighs 350 tons (390 short tons; 340 long tons) and has a height of 200 m (660 ft). The spire also houses communications equipment. Without the spire, Burj Khalifa would be 585 meters tall. The empty spire “could be a skyscraper on its own”. Such a skyscraper, if located in Europe, would be the 11th tallest building on that continent.
Records
The Burj Khalifa set several world records, including:
- Tallest existing structure: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m or 2,063 ft)
- Tallest freestanding structure: 829.8 m (2,722 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: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower – 527 m or 1,729 ft)
- Building with most floors: 163 (previously World Trade Center – 110)
- World’s highest elevator installation (situated inside a rod at the very top of the building)
- World’s longest travel distance elevators: 504 m (1,654 ft)
- Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft)
- World’s tallest structure that includes residential space
- World’s highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade: 512 m (1,680 ft)
- 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)
- World’s highest New Year display of fireworks.
- World’s largest light and sound show staged on a single building.
Project details
| Master Community: |
Downtown Burj Dubai |
| Property Types Available: |
Apartments |
| Location: |
Sheikh Zayed Road |
| Status: |
Ready |
| Year Launched: |
2004 |
| Year Completed: |
2010 |
| Developer: |
Emaar |
| Architect: |
Skidmore, Owings And Merrill LLP |
| Contractor: |
Arabtec, Besix, Samsung C&T Corporation |
| Title Type: |
Freehold |
| Quality Classification: |
Ultra-Luxury |
| Height Classification: |
Super Tall |
| Life Cycle: |
Mature |
| Ready Apartments: |
1,044 |
| Floors: |
163 |
| Height: |
829 meters |
Floor plans
| Floors |
Purpose |
| 160–163 |
Mechanical |
| 156–159 |
Communication and broadcast |
| 155 |
Mechanical |
| 149–154 |
Corporate suites |
| 148 |
The New Deck observatory |
| 139–147 |
Corporate suites |
| 136–138 |
Mechanical |
| 125–135 |
Corporate suites |
| 124 |
At the Top observatory |
| 123 |
Sky lobby |
| 122 |
At.mosphere restaurant |
| 111–121 |
Corporate suites |
| 109–110 |
Mechanical |
| 77–108 |
Residential |
| 76 |
Sky lobby |
| 73–75 |
Mechanical |
| 44–72 |
Residential |
| 43 |
Sky lobby |
| 40–42 |
Mechanical |
| 38–39 |
Armani Hotel suites |
| 19–37 |
Residential |
| 17–18 |
Mechanical |
| 9–16 |
Armani Residences |
| 1–8 |
Armani Hotel |
| Ground |
Armani Hotel |
| Concourse |
Armani Hotel |
| B1–B2 |
Parking, mechanical |
Unit wise Break-up: Burj Khalifa minus Armani Residences
| Unit |
# of units |
Minimum Size in sq ft |
Maximum Size in sq ft |
| Studio |
28 |
546 |
548 |
| 1 BD |
264 |
826 |
1388 |
| 2 BD |
474 |
1406 |
2388 |
| 3 BD |
109 |
2323 |
2923 |
| 4 BD |
28 |
4191 |
7161 |
| 5 BD |
1 |
20979 |
20979 |
Unit wise Break-up: Armani Residences
| Unit |
# of units |
Minimum Size in sq ft |
Maximum Size in sq ft |
| 1 BD |
96 |
986 |
1207 |
| 2 BD |
48 |
1926 |
2174 |
Key Milestones
- January 2004: Excavation commences.
- February 2004: Piling starts.
- 21 September 2004: Emaar contractors begin construction.
- March 2005: Structure of Burj Khalifa starts rising.
- June 2006: Level 50 is reached.
- February 2007: Surpasses the Sears Tower as the building with the most floors.
- 13 May 2007: Sets record for vertical concrete pumping on any building at 452 m (1,483 ft), surpassing the 449.2 m (1,474 ft) to which concrete was pumped during the construction of Taipei 101, while Burj Khalifa reached the 130th floor.
- 21 July 2007: Surpasses Taipei 101, whose height of 509.2 m (1,671 ft) made it the world’s tallest building, and level 141 reached.
- 12 August 2007: Surpasses the Sears Tower antenna, which stands 527 m (1,729 ft).
- 12 September 2007: At 555.3 m (1,822 ft), becomes the world’s tallest freestanding structure, surpassing the CN Tower in Toronto, and level 150 reached.
- 7 April 2008: At 629 m (2,064 ft), surpasses the KVLY-TV Mast to become the tallest man-made structure, level 160 reached.
- 17 June 2008: Emaar announces that Burj Khalifa’s height is over 636 m (2,087 ft) and that its final height will not be given until it is completed in September 2009.
- 1 September 2008: Height tops 688 m (2,257 ft), making it the tallest man-made structure ever built, surpassing the previous record-holder, the Warsaw Radio Mast in Konstantynów, Poland.
- 17 January 2009: Topped out at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).
- 1 October 2009: Emaar announces that the exterior of the building is completed.
- 4 January 2010: Burj Khalifa’s official launch ceremony is held and Burj Khalifa is opened. Burj Dubai renamed Burj Khalifa in honour of the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan.
- 10 March 2010: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat certifies Burj Khalifa as world’s tallest building.
Awards
Burj Khalifa was also the recipient of the following awards.
| Year |
Award |
| 2012 |
Award of Merit for World Voices Sculpture, Burj Khalifa Lobby from Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI), Chicago. |
| 2011 |
· Interior Architecture Award, Certificate of Merit from AIA – Chicago Chapter.
· Distinguished Building Award, Citation of Merit from AIA – Chicago Chapter.
· Interior Architecture Award: Special Recognition from AIA – Chicago Chapter.
· Design Excellence Award: Special Function Room.
· Excellence in Engineering from ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) – Illinois Chapter.
· Outstanding Structure Award from International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.
· Decade of Design, Presidential Commendation in Corporate Space Small from International Interior Design Association (IIDA).
· Decade of Design Best of Category/Mixed Use Buildings from International Interior Design Association (IIDA).
· GCC Technical Building Project of the Year from MEED (formerly Middle East Economic Digest).
· Project of the Year from MEED. |
