In the early 2000s, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, embarked on a plan to turn his emirate into one of the main centers of world tourism. One of the points of this plan was the construction of a new district - Dubai Downtown, which includes more than 100 residential and office buildings, hotels, the largest shopping center, impressive fountains and many other projects. But the key element of the new district was to be the world's tallest skyscraper.
2003 year. Burj Khalifa will be built on this site
In the spring of 2002, Dubai-based construction company Emaar approached architect Adrian Smith to design the tallest building in the world. Adrian Smith was chosen because of his Jin Mao skyscraper, built in the heart of Shanghai. The original project was 518 meters in height, which was enough to overtake the then record-holder Taipei 101, the Taipei 101 skyscraper, which is 509 meters high. But at the initial stage of construction, the project was changed at least 7 times, the latest options provided for a height of 705 and 750 meters. Smith was not happy with the constant demands to change the design and proposed 5 final versions of the tower, which will not change. Emaar chose a project with a height of 828 meters.
The project started under the name Burj Dubai and construction work began in January 2004.
The foundation of the tower was completed in December 2004.
It took almost a year to erect the first 10 floors of the building. September 2005:
Especially for Burj Khalifa, a special grade of concrete was developed that can withstand temperatures up to +50 ° C for a long time. It was poured only at night, and ice was added to the solution. Otherwise, too high a temperature would not allow the concrete to gain the necessary strength when hardened. April 2006:
The average construction speed of the tower was 1-2 floors per week. October 2006:
October 2007: Burj Khalifa reaches floor 160, followed by a 200-meter steel spire.
Designed specifically for the Burj Khalifa, the glass will allow enough light to pass through while reflecting some of the heat, which will significantly reduce air conditioning costs. In addition, they have to withstand enormous wind loads on the tower. March 2008.
Burj Khalifa (UAE) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
- Tours for May in the UAE
- Last Minute Tours in the UAE
Previous photo Next photo
Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world! The height of the skyscraper located in Dubai is 828 meters, it is 163 floors. Its shape resembles a stalagmite. The opening ceremony took place on January 4, 2010.
Burj Khalifa was immediately planned as the tallest building in the world. Its design height was kept secret.
Burj Khalifa was immediately planned as the most tall skyscraper but its design height was kept secret. This was done in case a building is designed somewhere. greater height, - then the project could be corrected. The Dubai Tower was conceived as a "city within a city" - with its own lawns, boulevards and parks. The total cost of the construction is about $ 1.5 billion.
The Burj Khalifa complex houses a hotel, apartments, offices and shopping centers... The building has three separate entrances: to the hotel, to the apartments and to the office premises. On the 43rd and 76th floors there are GYM's, swimming pools, viewing platforms with a jacuzzi. On the 122nd floor there is a restaurant "Atmosphere" with 80 seats - this is located on the very high altitude the world's restaurant.
The highest observation deck, Burj Khalifa, is located on the 148th floor at an altitude of 555 meters. Two more sites are located on the 124th (472 meters) and 125th floors.
The air inside the building is not only cooled, but also aromatized thanks to special membranes. This fragrance was created especially for the Burj Khalifa. Glasses do not let in dust and repel the sun's rays, allowing you to maintain an optimal temperature in the building, moreover, they are washed daily. Specifically for the Burj Khalifa, a special grade of concrete was developed that can withstand temperatures up to +50 ° C. The concrete mixture was laid only at night, and ice was added to the solution.
The building has 57 elevators. In this case, only the service elevator rises from the first floor to the last. Residents and visitors of the skyscraper move between floors with transfers. Burj Khalifa elevators reach speeds of up to 10 m / s.
The Dubai Musical Fountain is located at the foot of the skyscraper in the artificial lake. It is illuminated by 6,600 light sources and 50 colored spotlights. The length of the fountain is 275 m, and the height of the jets reaches 150 meters. The fountain has musical accompaniment.
Facts & Figures About Burj Khalifa
The construction of the skyscraper began in 2004 and proceeded at a rate of 1-2 floors per week.
Up to 12,000 workers were involved in the construction every day.
The construction of the tower took about 320 thousand square meters of concrete and more than 60 thousand tons of steel reinforcement.
The tower contains about 900 apartments, a hotel with 304 rooms, 35 floors are given for offices. There is a parking lot for 3,000 cars on three underground floors.
Today, Dubai is associated, first of all, with the most ambitious and unthinkable projects that are being implemented and implemented as if by the wave of a magic wand. Two of these miracles today, above all, have become business cards emirate. This is the Burj al-Arab hotel ( Burj al arab ) and skyscraper Burj Khalifa ( Burj khalifa) ... However, if the so-called "Sail" decorates coastline the beach area of Jumeirah, the Khalifa Tower (this is how the name is translated) has grown in the form of a giant stalagmite in the heart of the metropolis Dubai Downtown , adjacent to the world's largest shopping center The dubai mall ... Although the creators were inspired by the image of the hymenokallis flower growing in the UAE desert, with its ideal proportions.
The construction of the world's tallest building was carried out under the direction of the chief architect of the American Adrian Smith from 2004 to 2010, and the total cost of the project was 1.5 billion US dollars.
But everything could have turned out differently.
Firstly, the initial height of the building was assumed to be 705 m, which would be enough to obtain the status of the tallest building on the planet. However, until the very official opening on January 4, 2010, the final height was shrouded in mystery and only guesswork. Only at the ceremony, the public was informed that the highest point was at an altitude of 828 m, and the total number of floors was 163. As it later became known, it was the ruler of Dubai and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, His Majesty Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum ( Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum ) offered to the developer - the company Emaar the original dimensions, which as a result, were approved.
Secondly, the pilot name of the project was Burj Dubai ( Burj - Dubai ), however, later he was named after the President of the United United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan ( Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahayan).
Today within the Burj Khalifa there are: an elite residential complex, a hotel Armani , a number of shopping and office centers, a restaurant s , observation decks and an observatory, as well as an artificial lake with a fountain at the base. This splendor is crowned with a 180-meter spire.
Especially surprising is the fact that the top of the spire can be seen at a distance of 95 km from the tower. Thus, it also performs the function of a kind of beacon. Thanks to this, you can always orient yourself and visually determine your location in relation to the city center.
Since 2014, the entire southeastern plane Burj khalifa turned into an interactive LED -display, which demonstrates various animations, videos, shows and visual effects, which made the already fantastic structure staggering, and the traditional New Year's fireworks, famous all over the world, received a breathtaking illumination accompaniment.
Worldwide popularity was gained by visiting observation deck with a panoramic view of the metropolis and its surroundings " At the top ", Which is located on the 124th floor, at an altitude of 452 m and 125 m (456 m), and the world's fastest elevator with a speed of 10 m / c takes visitors upstairs in less than a minute.
But this was not enough for the ambitiousness of the Arab ambition. Already in 2014, a new observation deck was opened “ SKY "(Sky) at 555 m. With more comfortable and exclusive conditions for visiting, such as a guide, drinks and snacks, as well as an interactive panel and the ability to go down and see the panorama from the level" At the Top ".
Interestingly, the very next day after the opening of the tower, more than 90% of 900 luxury apartments were sold, which, by the way, occupy floors from 44th to 72nd, and from 77th to 108th.
The first 39 floors are occupied by a magnificent and very stylish hotel Armani , and the master Giorgio Armani himself had a hand in working on its design. World celebrities and top officials of states like to stay here.
The famous restaurant is especially popular AT. MOSPHERE with a capacity of 80 people, located on the 122nd floor. This is one of the most romantic places in the emirates and all over the world, where you can spend time in a relaxed atmosphere with a gorgeous view of one of the most dynamically developing megacities in the world.
A special charm of Burj Khalifa is given by a combination with a dancing fountain located at its foot in an artificial reservoir with an area of 12 hectares. Today it is number 1 on the must-see tourist attractions in Dubai.
View from the observation deck At the Top.
Common list amazing features the buildings are incredibly large, but even some make you really admire this architectural masterpiece.
So, in total, there are 57 elevators in the building, but only one of them (service) runs the entire length.
The total outer surface area is approximately equal to 17 football fields.
The exterior glass of the skyscraper is washed daily and continuously, but it takes about three months to completely wash it.
And one more interesting fact at the end. If we take all the amount of concrete that was used during the construction and lay out the sidewalk from it, then its length will be 2065 kilometers.
Definitely Burj Khalifa - this is something about which to listen a lot, read and watch endlessly and for a long time, but it is better to see once with your own eyes.
Is a famous skyscraper with a height of more than 800 meters, built in Dubai in 2010. According to experts, this stalagmite-like tower is currently the tallest in the world.
The Khalifa Tower is one of the most famous landmarks of the city and is always popular with tourists from all over the world. It is truly a building masterpiece that showcases the power and wealth of the Emirates.
The total cost of this skyscraper is $ 1.5 billion. This is a truly unique building, which is a real autonomous city in a metropolis. Burj Khalifa even has its own streets and parks with evenly mowed lawns.
The project was developed under the guidance of the world famous US architect Adrian Smith, who has vast practical experience in the creation of this kind of high-rise buildings.
And the general contractor of the construction was the well-known Samsung from South Korea, who also participated in the construction of a number of famous skyscrapers in the USA, China and other countries.
It is interesting that the Burj Khalifa from the very beginning was built with the intention of making it the tallest in the world, Therefore, its final height was kept secret to the end, so that someone would not find out and build a building even higher.
In addition, in preparation for the construction of the Tower, special concrete was invented, which is able to withstand a constant ambient temperature of more than +50 C, and the concrete mixture was poured using ice.
During the entire construction, public interest in this unique building was extremely high and gave rise to a lot of rumors and newspaper ducks. In addition, it is known that the builders were paid very little, which is why they periodically rebelled.
What's inside?
Today, the Khalifa Tower is the most important element of the downtown area. It houses offices and offices, hotels and restaurants, apartments and apartments, shops and boutiques, as well as swimming pools, gyms, jacuzzis, etc.
The interior of the skyscraper even has its own atmosphere. Purified, cooled and aromatized air enters the rooms through the grates in the floor. The fragrance was also created by perfumers especially for this Tower.
The skyscraper is glazed with energy-saving glass that does not let the sun's rays inside, reflecting them. This allows you to maintain the coolness inside the building, which people in this sultry country need so much. Glasses are washed every day.
There are more than fifty elevators in the Khalifa Tower. Moreover, people who live or work here have to ride elevators with transfers, the architecture of the entire building is so complex.
A huge pond with a beautifully illuminated musical fountain, the height of the jets of which reaches 150 m, is organized on the street next to the skyscraper. The fountain works to the accompaniment of Arab national music, as well as world modern and classical hits.
It is known that it rarely rains in the Emirates, a small amount of precipitation falls only in winter. Therefore, the Burj Khalifa has a system for collecting not rainwater, but condensate that falls on the surface of the building from the air.
This condensate is sent through the plumbing system to the basement in a special tank and is further used inside the building for watering flowers and other plantings throughout the complex.
The Tower has the most floors in the world - 163. Previously, the record for the number of storeys belonged to the New York Twin Towers, notorious for being completely destroyed in a terrorist attack on 09/11/2000.
The famous restaurant Atmosphere is located inside the skyscraper on the 122nd floor. He ranks above all restaurants in the world. And on the 148th floor there is an observation deck, which is also the highest in the world, with an altitude of more than 500 m. 
Excursions to the Khalifa Tower
Tourists love to visit this unique skyscraper and not only for sightseeing purposes. Here you can stay in one of the hotels and have a great time of relaxation, traveling through the floors and visiting local restaurants, saunas, places of entertainment, etc., although the pleasure is not cheap.
You can also purchase a guided tour for several people and see all the sights of the Tower during the day. You will surely be delighted to see Dubai from a bird's eye view. You will simply take your breath away from the beauty of the city, watching it from the observation platforms.
Burj Khalifa is three times the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and twice the Empire State Building in New York. Just imagine: the aluminum used in the construction of the Burj Khalifa would be more than enough for five Airbus aircraft A380. For reference: Airbus A380 is able to accommodate about a thousand passengers and is considered the largest of the currently operating passenger aircraft. Of course, the Dubai skyscraper consists not only of metal, but also of concrete, the weight of which is equal to the weight of 100,000 elephants (if we are to measure the scale of the king of skyscrapers in elephants and planes). And the spire of the building is visible from 95 kilometers away - in other words, if you are going to Dubai, the first thing that you will see from an approaching plane will be it, Burj Khalifa, a symbol of luxury and untold riches of these lands.
Observation deck at sky level
Have you ever thought about the fact that you can soar in the clouds not only while in the cabin of an airplane or in your own dreams? Burj Khalifa provides its guests with the unique opportunity to climb to the 125th floor to enjoy views of one of the most modern cities world history, and if you're lucky, then deserts. However, truly clear weather in Dubai does not happen very often. The problem is the unbearable heat. When the temperature in the shade is 48 degrees, there is a sultry fog on the "upper floors" around the clock, through which you can hardly see anything.
There is entertainment in Burj for the most daring, namely: the opportunity to climb to the 148th floor. In 2014, the world's highest observation deck was opened here under open air At the Top SKY. In addition, the site is literally crammed with the most modern and almost "spy" equipment, with the help of which guests can not only admire Dubai, but also look into its most remote corners.
At the speed of light
Dubai is famous not only for its wealth, the scale of which is difficult to imagine for mere mortals, but also for its highest rate of development. Burj Khalifa is more than the tallest building in the world. It is a symbol of the progress of the UAE. Construction, which began in 2004, proceeded at a record pace: in the first three years, 150 floors were already completed. The opening ceremony took place in 2010. Today, the Burj Khalifa is a whole separate world: offices, restaurants, apartments and even the Armani Hotel are located here. So some of the high-rise residents don't even have to leave their homes to get to work.
Victory and victory again
Burj Khalifa has been holding a leading position for six years now, there is no higher skyscraper on the entire planet. The tower also entered the Guinness Book of Records as a building with the largest number floors, the longest lift distance and the highest located private residences. Such a scale attracts extreme lovers from all over the world: for example, rock climber Alain Robert, known as the French "Spider-Man", conquered the height of the Burj Khalifa in 2011 - it took him more than six hours. Extreme athletes Fred Fügen and Vincent Reffer, on the contrary, made a trip from top to bottom, jumping from a height of 828 meters and setting a world record in base jumping.
The tallest restaurant in the world
The At.mosphere restaurant is located on the first level of the Burj Khalifa observation deck, namely on the 122nd floor, and this was enough to get into the Guinness Book of Records, in the status of the highest restaurant in the world. Here you will be served the most exquisite dishes, the menu includes foie gras, oysters and Wagyu beef medallions. The wide windows offer a view of the stunning panorama of the city in the desert and even of the planes that fly very close to the famous high-rise building, approaching for landing.
Two-story burger at the 163-story Burj Khalifa
In a multi-story building, a multi-story building should also have food. The Firebird Diner offers Burger Khalifa, which is reminiscent of the tallest building in the world for a reason. Quite extravagant, right? A two-story burger consists of one larger burger, on which its smaller sibling is hoisted. Most of the bun contains American lobster tail, fried eggs, USDA premium beef patty with black truffle aioli. The mini-burger has a foie gras cutlet on top of its head, and instead of a spire, the skyscraper burger is decorated with pickled cucumber.
Movie star
Almost more often than other high-rise buildings, Burj Khalifa hits wide screens: sometimes a skyscraper is filmed in a movie. This is understandable - every director dreams of getting such a location, regardless of what exactly he is shooting, a thriller, a blockbuster or a romantic comedy. Among the most famous films, it is worth noting the film "Mission Impossible: Phantom Protocol" with Tom Cruise in the title role, as well as "Independence Day: Rebirth".
