History of the construction of the Burj Khalifa Tower
How it all began
The construction of the tower actually began back in 1995, when Sheikh Muktum ibn Rashid, the eldest brother, handed over the reins to Sheikh Mohamed, a more proactive younger brother. The latter decided that the UAE should be turned into a world center of tourism, gathering all the best and unique in the Emirates. Soon the Burj al-Arab Hotel, Palm Island and Dubai Downtown, where the Khalifa Tower is located, came into being.
Who the architect is
The Burj Khalifa project was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, an American company that gained prestige by designing Chinese skyscrapers. The tower was entrusted to Andrian Smith. He was to once again break his own record for the world's tallest skyscraper.
History of Project Selection
Smith spent two years working on the building on paper. The result was a design that was a record 518 meters high. But the client, Sheikh Mohamed, rejected the architect's idea. After some time, 5 alternative variants were developed. This time the architect gave an ultimatum to accept one of them. This is how the design of the 828 meter high tower was approved in 2004.
It is noteworthy that during construction, the height and how many floors the skyscraper will have was kept in strict secrecy. This was done deliberately so that if a competitor to the tower appeared on the planet, the Emirati government would have time to correct the original design to a taller one.
Construction cost
The country's government does not reveal the secret of how much the construction cost. Officially, the figure of 4 billion dollars is sometimes announced, but according to some sources much more was spent during the construction of the skyscraper. In order for the Khalifa Tower project to come to life, 110 thousand tons of concrete and 55 thousand tons of steel were needed. By weight, the materials involved in the construction are equal to 100 thousand elephants. The rebar used in the architecture has a total length equal to a quarter of the planet's equator.
The Khalifa Burj is 22 million man-hours. On days when work was particularly intense, 12,000 people were on site at a time. This high level of involvement helped to maintain the tower's pace of 1-2 floors per week.
Strike during construction
Asian-born workers were particularly affected. They were willing to work for extremely low wages. 2006 was a watershed year in the tower's history. Due to unbearable working conditions (in particular, lack of water availability, food breaks and miserable wages), the workers went on strike. The Emirati authorities promptly met the protesters' demands and construction continued the very next day.
Officially, the construction of the Khalifa Tower has only once caused the death of a worker. Although unofficial sources say there have been many more fatalities.
Official opening of Burj Khalifa
The Khalifa Tower was opened on January 4, 2010. It was originally scheduled to be completed back in 2009, but difficulties arose due to the local hot climate (at times workers had to continue erecting the building at 41°C). To overcome these difficulties, Dubai authorities hired 300 specialists from China, who were tasked with researching and implementing the most durable materials suitable for such high temperatures. The solution was the introduction of a special concrete mix to which ice was added and poured exclusively at night. In addition, for the last six months of the tower's construction, funding for the project was partially cut, which also delayed the completion of the building.
When the skyscraper was still under construction, it was known around the world as Burj Dubai or Dubai Tower. Sheikh Mohamed, at the official opening ceremony of the tower, dedicated it to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan and announced that the building was now named Khalifa Tower.
Skyscraper Features
Khalifa Tower from the outside and inside
The exterior of the structure is based on the construction of the tallest Korean skyscraper, which has the outline of an inverted letter Y. The wide base of the structure gradually tapers toward the top. Some experts claim that the idea of the building's appearance was borrowed from the Samarra Mosque. Such an architectural solution has a functional justification: due to the narrowing during frequent sandstorms, the upper floors sway only with a meter amplitude.
The official version of the Burj Khalifa's appearance sounds more romantic. The wide base and gradually tapering levels, as well as the three wings of the Burj Khalifa's base, remind the chief architect of a spider lily flower (hymenocallis). The total area of the building's foundation is equal to 17 soccer fields.
To be sure of the strength of the future building, 33 test wells were drilled in 2003. Emirati authorities feared they would see sand, but the builders found soft limestone. The natural rocks, 140 meters deep, were reinforced with 142 reinforced concrete piles to create a strong foundation.
Building Infrastructure
Khalifa Tower is a functional 163-storey building with a height of 828 meters. It is located inside it:
- hotel apartments with 300 rooms,
- 900 apartments,
- offices,
- fitness centers and swimming pools (on the 43rd and 76th floors),
- restaurants (Atmosphere, the most extreme of which is on the 122nd floor);
- mosque.
The structure has three separate entrances: for residential private apartments, for the hotel and for office space.
The underground parking lot for cars has three levels and can accommodate 3,000 cars.
Burj Khalifa has three observation decks: on the 124th, 125th and 143rd floors, for which you can buy a ticket.
How many elevators are there in the Burj Khalifa
There are 57 elevators designed to move people around the building inside. Only one - the service elevator - can travel from the first to the last level. The rest work with transfers. Khalifa Tower elevators move at a speed of 10 meters per second. Eight escalators complete the transportation system inside the building.
Maintaining the building's needs
In order to serve the building's needs, some floors within the building are dedicated exclusively to technical needs (e.g. 17 and 18).
The spire located on the roof of the building has a purely practical function in addition to the aesthetic one - it is used as a telecommunication tower and serves the needs of mobile communication and internet.
To maintain the comfort of the tower's residents and guests, the air inside is both purified, cooled and aromatized through a special ventilation system. The pleasant, fresh air is supplied through ingeniously designed grilles on the floor. In addition, the tower's glass is cleaned daily.
Water collection system
Because of Dubai's hot climate, it didn't make sense for Burj Khalifa to design a rainwater harvesting system, as is done for similar skyscrapers around the world. The architect replaced it with a system that collects condensate from inside the building itself. In this way, 40 million tons of moisture can be collected each year for the tower itself.
Buildings Nearby
Dubai Fountain
Dubai Fountain is located near the skyscraper in an artificial lake of about 12 hectares. It is illuminated by about 50 large floodlights. In total, more than 6 thousand light sources are involved. The length of the fountain reaches 275 meters, height - 175 meters. The musical accompaniment to the play of light and water includes classical and modern Arabic music.
Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall was also built near the foot of the tower in 2009, completing the concept of the luxury commercial and business center of Dubai Downtown. The area of the mall is one of the world's record-breaking and reaches 1.2 million square kilometers. The mall city includes the following establishments:
- golden market - a complex of 220 stores united under one roof;
- SEGA Republic - the largest theme park in the Emirates;
- Fashion Island - 70 boutiques and showrooms;
- Kidzania - children's entertainment center with an area of 8 thousand square meters;
- one of the largest oceanariums in the world;
- cinema with 22 screens;
- ice skating rink, which can host the Olympics.
To accommodate the Mall's guests, there is an underground parking lot for 14,000 cars.
Putting information for tourists
Address: Burj Khalifa, 1 Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard Downtown Dubai Dubai, UAE
Official website of Burj Khalifa: burjkhalifa.ae
Armani Hotel at Burj Khalifa at booking.com
At.mosphere restaurant website: www.atmosphereburjkhalifa.com
How to get to Burj Khalifa
- Metro
The most convenient way to get to Burj Khalifa is by metro (fare from 0,5 to 4 EUR depending on the distance). You should choose the red line and go to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station. Then follow the signs and walk for 10 minutes.
- Taxi
The alternative transportation in Dubai is cab. It costs 6.5 EUR to board a cab. Each kilometer of travel costs 0.5 EUR.
- Airport transfers
Transfers from the airport can be booked in advance for 26 EUR. The distance is approximately 14 kilometers.
How and when is the best way to get into the building
For tourists, there is a special path from the office entrance to the tower that leads to the observation decks. We recommend arriving at the tower close to dusk, so you can enjoy both the daytime view and the evening view of Dubai.
Opening hours
The Observation Deck is open from 08:30 to 01:00;
The ticket office is open from 10:00 to 00:00.
Ticket Ordering
Prices start from 149 AED (approximately 40.56 USD) and depend on the floor selected. Each floor has its own program of entertainment.
Find out more and buy tickets here.
The most economical way to save money is to pre-book tickets for a few excursions, such as the Burj Khalifa, the zoo and the Oceanarium. You'll save up to 50 percent.
Atmosphere Restaurant's menu and prices
Officially, the minimum order amount per person in the restaurant is about 50 EUR. The cost of a hearty dinner for one is 100 - 150 EUR.
The restaurant has a dress code. Women must wear a dress, men will not be allowed in shorts and beach shoes.
The menu can be viewed here.
Armani Hotel Apartments
A stay at Hotel Armani costs a minimum of 430 EUR per night per person. To the sum for the whole period of stay in the hotel you will have to add from 90 EUR for taxes and fees.
A luxury apartment is estimated at 2000 EUR per night per person.
Interesting Facts
The Khalifa Tower boasts such world records:
- the tallest above-ground structure in existence and in the history of human construction including;
- the tallest free-standing structure;
- the tallest building;
- the building with the highest number of floors (211, if you include the floors of the spire-shaped end of the tower);
- the building with the last floor located at the highest level;
- the highest (track length 504 meters) and the fastest elevator;
- highest concrete foundation height;
- the highest observation deck;
- the restaurant located at the highest altitude (442 meters);
- the tallest nightclub (144th floor);
- the longest staircase (2909 steps);
The Khalifa Tower is three times taller than the Eiffel Tower. It is twice as tall as the famous Empire State Building.
The light show performed by the tower on New Year's Eve 2018 is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the greatest show of its kind.
In 2017, Khalifa Tower was threatened by a massive fire in the neighboring Address Hotel building. But the fire was extinguished in time and the Burj Khalifa structure was not damaged.
In 2011, Alan Robert climbed to the top of the tower, setting a world record.
In 2014, the world record for skydiving (828 meters) was broken with the help of the tower building by Frenchmen Reffet and Fugen.
