World’s tallest building opens in Dubai
January 4th, 2010The world’s tallest building opened tonight with a spectacular fireworks ceremony attended by thousands.
The final height of the Burj Khalifa was revealed to be 828 metres high, much higher than the 508 metres of the previous record holder, Taipei 101.
Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum renamed the skyscraper, known as the Burj Dubai throughout construction, after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, president of the UAE and ruler of the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The tower is home to over 1,000 luxury apartments, 49 floors of offices and the 160-room Armani hotel. Around 12,000 people are expected to live and work in the tower, which is part of the Downtown Burj Dubai development.
Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004 and involved some 12,000 workers. The first residents are expected to begin moving into their apartments in February 2010. The Armani Hotel is scheduled to open a month later.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Height | 828 metres |
| Construction cost | £1.5 billion |
| Architects | Skidmore, Owings and Merrill |
| Developer | Emaar |
| Construction man hours | 22 million |
| Temperature difference between base and top | 10C |
| Number of residential apartments | 1044 |
| Number of office floors | 49 |
| Number of elevators | 57 |
| Number of exterior glass cladding panels | 28,261 |
| World’s highest mosque | 158th floor |
| World’s tallest service elevator | Travels to a height of 504 metres |
