The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is known for being the world’s tallest building.
A Stunning work of art. An incomparable feat of engineering. Burj Khalifa is all that. In concept and execution, Burj Khalifa has no peer.
More than just the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa is an unprecedented example of international cooperation, a symbolic beacon of progress, and an emblem of the new, dynamic and prosperous Middle East.
Burj Khalifa (“Khalifa Tower”), known during construction as Burj Dubai, was officially named to honour the leader of the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al Nahyan. Although the tower was formally opened on January 4, 2010, the entirety of the interior was not complete at that time. Built to house a variety of commercial, residential, and hospitality ventures, the tower—whose intended height remained a closely guarded secret throughout its construction—reached completion at 162 floors and a height of 2,717 feet (828 metres). It was designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Adrian Smith served as architect, and William F. Baker served as structural engineer.
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The building, modular in plan, is laid out on a three-lobed footprint that is an abstract rendering of the local Hymenocallis flower. The Y-shaped plan plays a central role in the reduction of wind forces on the tower. A hexagonal central core is buttressed by a series of wings, each with its own concrete core and perimeter columns. As the tower increases in height, the wings step back in a spiral configuration, changing the building’s shape at each tier and so reducing the effect of the wind on the building. The central core emerges at the tower’s top and is finished with a spire, which reaches more than 700 feet (200 metres). The spire was constructed inside the tower and hoisted to its final position using a hydraulic pump. At the foundational level, the tower is supported by a reinforced concrete mat nearly 13 feet (4 metres) thick, itself supported by concrete piles 5 feet (1.5 metres) in diameter. A three-story podium anchors the tower in place; the podium and two-story basement alone measure some 2,000,000 square feet (186,000 square metres) in their own right. The tower’s exterior cladding is made up of aluminum and stainless-steel panels, vertical stainless-steel tubular fins, and more than 28,000 hand-cut glass panels. A public observation deck, called “At the Top,” is located on the 124th floor.
Garden in front of Mao Zedong Memorial Hall where Mao’s body rests in state at Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world, Beijing, China. Near the Forbidden City. Mausoleum.
