Burj Khalifa | |
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برج خليفة | |
The Burj Khalifa in October 2012
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Former names | Burj Dubai |
Record height | |
Tallest in the world since 2009 | |
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°ECoordinates: 25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″E / 25.197139°N 55.274111°E |
Construction started | 6 January 2004 |
Completed | Intended: September 2009; Revised: 2 December 2009 |
Opened | 4 January 2010 |
Cost | USD $ 1.5 billion |
Height | |
Architectural | 828 m (2,717 ft) |
Tip | 829.8 m (2,722 ft) |
Roof | 828 m (2,717 ft) |
Top floor | 584.5 m (1,918 ft) (Level 154) |
Observatory | 555.7 m (1,823 ft) (Level 148) |
Technical details | |
Material | Glass, steel, aluminium, reinforced concrete |
Floor count | 163 above ground. 154 usable floors plus 9 maintenance levels (46 spire levels) and 2 below-ground parking levels |
Floor area | 309,473 m2 (3,331,100 sq ft) |
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 |
Structural engineer | Bill Baker at SOM |
Main contractor |
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Website | |
www |
The Burj Khalifa (Arabic: برج خليفة, Arabic for "Khalifa Tower"; pronounced English /ˈbɜːrdʒ kəˈliːfə/), known as the Burj Dubai before its inauguration, is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest structure in the world, standing at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).
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 build 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 of Burj Khalifa is derived from patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, incorporating cultural and historical elements particular to the region, such as in the Great Mosque of Samarra. The Y-shaped plan is designed for residential and hotel usage. A buttressed core structural system is used to support the height of the building, and the cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's summer temperatures. It contains a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators.