Currently, the tallest building is Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For many countries, the tallest building in the world is a source of national pride, an astonishing feat of architecture, design and engineering.
Over the last decade, the tallest building in the world has changed multiple times. Today, Burj Khalifa is a tourist destination, a residential building, a hotel, and a prime commercial real estate center for offices and corporate suites. It has the tallest observation deck in the world. Here are some interesting facts about this tower.
1. Burj Khalifa Is Not Its Original Name
It was originally named Burj Dubai, but was renamed Burj Khalifa after the president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
2. A Staggering 2,722 Feet!
Burj Khalifa is 2,722 feet tall. Prior to Burj Khalifa’s completion in 2010, the tallest building in the world was Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which is 1,671 feet tall. Currently, the second tallest building is the Shanghai Tower, in Shanghai, which measures 2,073 feet, followed by the Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel in Mecca. Taipei 101 is now the tenth tallest building in the world.
3. It Cost $1.5B to Build
The estimated total cost to build this skyscraper was $1.5 billion, according to Mohamed Ali Alabbar, the chairman of the developer, Emaar Properties.
4. One Building, So Many Uses
The building is home to a luxury hotel, luxury residential apartments, corporate suites, a lounge, tea room, observational deck and more. Booking a room in the Georgio Armani hotel will cost around $600 or more per night. In 2017 the real estate value for a one bedroom apartment went for a little over one million dollars, while a two bedroom went for 1.8 million.
5. Tallest Building Isn’t Its Only Record
Burj Khalifa has broken many records beyond the tallest building in the world. It has 160 floors, the highest number of floors of any building worldwide. Burj Khalifa also has the tallest observation deck, and the highest occupied floor. It’s also the highest free-standing building in the world.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has identified three criteria for the tallest buildings: the height to architectural top, the height to highest occupied floor, and the height to tip. Burj Khalifa ranks number one for each of these criteria.
6. It Took Only Six Years to Build
It took six years to build Burj Khalifa. Excavation started in January 2004 and the official launch was announced in January 2010. In July 2007 it became the tallest building in the world, at 141 floors. In September 2007 it reached the world’s tallest free-standing structure, and in April of 2008, the world’s tallest man-made structure.
7. The Interior Is Spacious
The building contains over 2,000,000 sq ft of interior space, and early on in the development the three main goals in designing the interior were to, “recognize and acknowledge the building’s height, to integrate its structural and architectural rationale, and to appreciate the locale’s heritage, history and culture,” according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Touching the Sky
The Burj Khalifa is a popular tourist destination where wide-eyed visitors and business people alike gather to experience the thrill of a record-setting building. Whether the sheer height draws you in, the architectural feat of humankind, or the views from the top, there’s no denying how impressive this building is.