Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa holds the pride of being the world's tallest and most massive building, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has a total height of 828 m (2,717 ft), and by including the antenna, it has a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft). Since 2010, the Burj Khalifa has held the record for the tallest building in the world, surpassing Taipei 101, the previous pride holder of that position. The Jeddah Tower, which began construction in 2013, is expected to surpass the Burj Khalifa by 172 m (564.3 feet). The Jeddah Tower rises almost 1,000 m (3,281 feet) in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia.

The construction of the Burj Khalifa began on January 4, 2004. On January 6, 2010, they officially opened the Burj Khalifa without the completion of the interior works, but this is common in large-scale projects. The opening ceremony was grandly celebrated among thousands of people and broadcast worldwide, showcasing the Burj Khalifa as a symbol of Dubai's rapid growth and the nation's wealth.

The building is named after the former president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Emaar developers faced many financial difficulties and required more funds during the construction of the Burj Khalifa. Abu Dhabi and the UAE government provided a loan to pay its debts. Sheikh Khalifa, the ex-ruler of the UAE, permitted funding for Emaar properties to build the Burj Khalifa. During the opening ceremony, Sheikh Mohammad announced the renaming of the Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa, showing his respect and honor for Sheikh Khalifa's strategic guidance and financial support towards the Burj Khalifa.

The Burj Khalifa holds numerous records, including the record for the tallest building in the world. It has a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators and holds the record for the elevator with the longest travel distance in the world. The building stands independently without any external support or adjacent structure for stability, earning it the record of 'Free-standing Structure.' It also has the highest number of floors in the world, with a total of 163 floors above ground level, giving it the record for the highest stories in the world. The Burj Khalifa has the record for the highest occupied floors in the world. Levels 124 and 125 are known as 'At the Top,' and level 148 is known as 'At The Top Sky.' These three levels are public observation decks, where visitors can experience multiple direction views of Dubai city. The 'At The Top Sky' deck provides a premium experience of the outdoor wide-angle view of Dubai city, requiring a premium cost for tickets. It holds the record for the highest outside observation decks in the world.

The construction of the Burj Khalifa was implemented by Emaar Properties, who also constructed Dubai Mall. Emaar is a real estate development company based in Dubai, owned by the Dubai government. During the construction of the Burj Khalifa, Sheikh Maktoum was the ruler of Dubai and played a crucial role in the city's overall development. However, after Sheikh Maktoum's death, Sheikh Mohammad, who was closely connected with the startup and understanding of the Burj Khalifa project, took over. Sheikh Mohammad's vision focused on boosting Dubai's economy through tourism, real estate, and luxury developments. His support for such large-scale development was crucial in turning unrealistic ideas into reality.

The ticket price for experiencing the 360-degree view from the observation deck varies by age, level, and visiting time. The prime time is between 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, during sunset, when the ticket price demand increases. The non-prime time, excluding the prime times, is comparatively cheaper. For babies under the age of 4, both 'At the Top' and 'At The Top Sky' are free during both prime and non-prime times. For kids between the ages of 4 to 12 years, the charge is 399 AED for prime time and 358 AED for non-prime time for 'At The Top.' For 'At The Top Sky,' the charge is 499 AED for prime time and 399 AED for non-prime time. For adults above the age of 12, the charge is 459 AED for prime time and 399 AED for non-prime time for 'At The Top.' For 'At The Top Sky,' the charge is 859 AED for prime time and 769 AED for non-prime time. Sometimes the price varies depending on ticket demand, seasonal changes, or other promotional offers.

The base design of the Burj Khalifa resembles a lotus flower, notable from an aerial view such as from a helicopter or the top floors of the Burj Khalifa, referred to as 'Lotus View.' The lotus pattern symbolizes purity and beauty in many cultures, giving the Burj Khalifa an organic, balanced design that connects with its surroundings. Visitors can experience the lotus view from the observation decks, specifically on levels 124 and 148. The 'Lotus View' adds naturalistic beauty to this magnificent creation.

The adventure of climbing the world's tallest building is priceless, attracting many adventurers and professionals.
1. Alain Robert, known as the 'French Spider-Man,' is famous for climbing skyscrapers without using safety measures. He successfully climbed the Burj Khalifa on March 28, 2011, using only ropes and harnesses.
2. Tom Cruise performed extraordinary stunts on the exterior of the Burj Khalifa, including climbing and rappelling down the building, for the movie 'Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol' (2011).
3. Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet, BASE jumpers known as the 'Soul Flyers,' jumped from a platform constructed above the building's spire, setting a world record for jumping from the top of the Burj Khalifa.
4. Emirati skydivers Nasser Al Neyadi and Omar Al Hegelan were the first team to jump from the Burj Khalifa on January 8, 2010, before its official opening.

The Burj Khalifa is famous for its impressive lighting and fireworks displays, especially the New Year's Eve fireworks, which attract a world-level audience. It uses an advanced LED lighting system that covers most of the exterior. The lighting features numerous colors, patterns, and cultural celebrations or marks important global events. Different themes involve animations and color gradients, changing the presentation of the Burj Khalifa. The audience experiences a magnificent and striking display that combines fireworks, lasers, and LED lights. Fireworks are launched from multiple levels of the Burj Khalifa, combined with light and music shows.

The design of the Burj Khalifa was created by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, an architecture organization. The core building structure, named the "Y" shape in the Burj Khalifa, was designed by this team. This design helps the structure manage weight and wind load efficiently, providing better stability and structural reinforcement. It is important to manage stability against wind forces and other loads in super-tall buildings. The public area's interior design was done by the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, led by award-winning designer Nada Andric. The design is derived from Islamic architecture. After the design was provided by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Emaar Properties chose Hyder Consulting as the supervising engineer and NORR Group Consultants International Ltd to be part of this project. Hyder Consulting's role was to supervise the construction due to their proficiency in structural and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering. Emaar Properties also involved GHD, an international multidisciplinary consulting firm, to work as the testing authority for concrete and steelwork.

Landscape architects SWA Group designed the park surrounded by Burj Khalifa which was a Eleven-hectare (27 acre). same as the tower the park has a design based on the flower of 'Spider Lilles' a desert plant. the center of the park has a water room which has a row of pools and water jet fountains. The plants in the park are watered by water collected from the building's cooling system. about 68,000,000 L of water provided by the system anually.

Overview