Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa is the proud owner of the rather epic title of being the tallest building and structure on the planet and, indeed, ever. It is an influential symbol of architectural - as well as constructive -initiative, ingenuity and intelligence. Here are some fantastic facts about this phenomenal global icon that pushes the frontiers of design and culture:

1. The Burj eclipsed Taipei 101 for the tallest building title by over 300 m! That's the height of a supertall skyscraper itself! The tallest structure of all at that time was the towering 629 m KVLY-TV Tower in North Dakota, USA

2. Originally, the architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill clandestinely copied the original designs from the 560 m proposed Melbourne Grollo Tower in Australia for the Burj, which was designed by a separate firm. However, it was changed after it was leaked accidentally to the press and a new design had to be released promptly.

3. The triple-lobed base of the building was adapted from a desert flower native to the UAE and the Middle East called the spider lily.

The spectacular Dubai Fountain (Burj behind)

4. It bears 17 unpresidented world records, mostly related to it's incredible, soaring elevation, including the obvious ones (tallest building, tallest structure etc.) but also more obscure ones such as highest vertical concrete pumping, highest nightclub and highest New Years' Eve firework celebration.

5. It includes double-decker elevators (the fastest of which in the world), a recent concept which is all the range in architecture. Skidmore was considering triple-decker elevators, which would have been the first in the world. It also includes other awesome cutting-edge gizmos such as the Tellscope augmented reality telescope on the 124th floor, allowing visitors to view the landscape in real-time, and the unmanned robots used to clean the exterior. It won the Special Recognition for Technological Advancement award in 2010 for it's transcendental tech.

6. The Burj has become the benchmark for all things tall and concrete; many countries are simply desperate to beat it. For example, Broad Sustainable Building released designs for Sky City One in China: it is supposed to be 10 m taller than the Burj.

Stat Attack!!!

Burj Khalifa

Official Name: Burj Khalifa

Alternative Names: Burj Dubai

Country: United Arab Emirates

City: Dubai

Street Address: 1 Emaar Boulevard

Construction Started: 2004

Completed: 2010

Global Ranking #1 in the world

Continental Ranking: #1 in the Middle East

National Ranking: #1 in United Arab Emirates

City Ranking: #1 in Dubai

Architect: Skidmore, Owings and Merrill 

Height: 828 m (2,717 ft.)