The Burj Dubai, a supertall skyscraper located in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, is the tallest building in the world despite the fact that it is still under construction. It currently stands at over 636 meters or 2,087 feet tall. Started in 2004, the project is scheduled to be complete in September of 2009. The Burj Dubai has been initiated by Emaar Properties, one of the premier property developers in Dubai and part of the larger development project of Downtown Burj Dubai. The supertall tower has been designed by the architectural firm of Skimore, Owings and Merrill, designers of the Freedom Tower in New York City and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
The five-year project has set several records. In February 2007 the Burj Dubai passed the 110-story Sears Tower with the most stories, with its 160 floors. In July of 2007 it overtook the Taipei 101 (509.2 meters or 1,671 feet) as the tallest building in the world. In June 2008 Emaar announced that the final height of Burj Dubai would not be provided until the project was complete. In January 2009 a former architect who had worked on the project reported that the Burj Dubai had reached 818 meters or 2,684 feet.
The supertall skyscraper has had several design as well as height changes over the years, first being modeled after the Grollo Tower in Melbourne, Australia and the Tower Palace Three of Seoul, South Korea. The design incorporates elements from Islamic architecture with a modern exterior comprised of aluminum and reflective glazing and textured stainless steel panels. The floor plan, which is y-shaped, helps to maximize views of the picturesque Persian Gulf.
Giorgio Armani is designing the Burj Dubai’s interior. The building will feature an Armani Hotel on the first 37 floors, with 700 private apartments on floors 45 through 108, a swimming pool on the 78th floor, and the remaining floors containing corporate offices and suites. Emaar has reported that all the private apartments sold out 8 hours after being up for sale. The building will also contain the fastest elevator in the world.
The Burj Dubai will be the central landmark of a large development project in Downtown Dubai that features 30,000 residences, luxury hotels, residential towers, the Dubai Mall and the man-made Lake Burj Dubai. The project is part of a strategic decision on the part of the government of Dubai to help diversity its economy away from oil revenues to one based on services (real estate and financial) as well as tourism. It is estimated that Dubai’s crude oil reserves will be depleted in approximately 20 years and this realization, along with rising oil prices, helped lead the construction boom in Dubai.
Massive and impressive projects like Burj Dubai have brought the city and emirate of Dubai international recognition as a hot spot for tourism, business and trade. The Burj Dubai, as the tallest building in the world, is the centerpiece of Dubai’s modern infrastructure and skyline. It’s projects like this that have put Dubai on the international map.