The World’s Tallest Building… Burj Khalifa Dubai
Burj Khalifa has been designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that would include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as The Address Downtown Dubai, 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12-hectare (30-acre) man-made Burj Khalifa Lake.
The building has returned the location of Earth’s tallest freestanding structure to the Middle East where the Great Pyramid of Giza claimed this achievement for almost four millennia before being surpassed in 1311 by Lincoln Cathedral in England.
The decision to build Burj Khalifa is reportedly based on the government’s decision to diversify from an oil based economy to one that is service and tourism based. According to officials, it is necessary for projects like Burj Khalifa to be built in the city to garner more international recognition, and hence investment. “He (Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational,” said Jacqui Josephson, a tourism and VIP delegations executive at Nakheel Properties.
Current records that the Burj Dubai holds:
Tallest skyscraper to top of spire: 928 m (3,045 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 509.2 m/1,671 ft)
Tallest structure ever built: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m/2,121 ft)
Tallest extant structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m/2,063 ft)
Tallest freestanding structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m/1,815 ft)
Building with most floors: 160 (previously Willis Tower – 108)
Building with highest occupied floor in the world: 160th floor
World’s highest elevator installation, situated inside a rod at the very top of the building
World’s fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s)[23] (previously Taipei 101 – 16.83 m/s)
Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft)[24] (previously Taipei 101 – 449.2 m/1,474 ft)
The first world’s tallest structure in history to include residential space
Highest outdoor observation deck in the world (124th floor) at 452 m (1,483 ft)
World’s highest mosque (located on the 158th floor)
World’s highest installation of an aluminium and glass facade, at a height of 512 m (1,680 ft)
World’s highest swimming pool (76th floor)
World’s highest nightclub (144th floor).
World’s highest restaurant, At.mosphere, located on 122nd floor at the height of 442 m (1,450 ft). (Previously the world’s highest restaurant was 360, at a height of 350 m (1,148 ft) in CN Tower).
World’s highest New Year fireworks display.
