Burj Dubai
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| Missing image Burjdubai.jpg | |
| Technical Data | |
|---|---|
| Structural height | Unknown |
| Height to tip | Unknown |
| Height to roof | Unknown |
| Height to top floor | 705 m (est.) |
| Floors (Above ground) | 160 |
| Floors (Under ground) | Unknown |
| Groundbreaking | 2005 |
| Topout | 2008 (est.) |
| Opening | Unknown |
| Gross floor area | Unknown |
| Companies | |
| Developer | Emaar |
| Architect | SOM |
The Burj Dubai (Arabic for "Tower of Dubai") is a skyscraper currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its exact height remains a closely-guarded secret, but is believed to be approximately 705 meters (2,314 ft).
Expected to be completed in 2008, the Burj Dubai is a formidable threat to other bids to the title of world's tallest building. These include the 1,776 foot Freedom Tower in New York City and the current record holder, Taipei 101. The Burj Dubai's developer Emaar Properties has suggested that the Burj Dubai will become the tallest manmade structure of any kind in history. The highest structure was the 645.4 meter (2,120 feet) Warsaw radio mast built in 1974 but collapsed during renovation work in 1991.
The Burj Dubai has been designed to be the center of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include commercial, residential, shopping, entertainment, and leisure outlets. The complete development, including the US $800 million tower, will cost about US $8 billion.
The Burj Dubai will be the latest feather in the cap of Dubai, which is also building the largest man-made marina (the Dubai Marina), the world's largest man-made island (Palm Islands), and already had the world's tallest 5-star deluxe hotel (the Burj al-Arab).
Developers say the silvery steel-and-glass building will restore to the Middle East the honor of hosting the earth's tallest structure -- a title lost circa 1300 when Lincoln Cathedral upset the 38-century reign of Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza. However, it may not hold this title for long if the enormous 1,000 m (3,281 ft) Solar Tower project that has been proposed in Buronga, New South Wales, Australia is completed as planned.
A hotel will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments (which, according to the developer, sold within eight hours of going on sale). Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the rest, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor observation deck, with an outdoor terrace for the brave. The spire will also hold communication equipment.
The design of Burj Dubai is derived from the geometries of the desert flower, which is indigenous to the region, and the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture. It combines historical and cultural influences with cutting edge technology to achieve a high-performance building which will set the new standard for development in the Middle East and become the model for the future of the city.
The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the flat desert base, setbacks occur at each element in an upward spiraling pattern, decreasing the mass of the tower as it reaches toward the sky. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes views of the Persian Gulf.
External links
- Burj Dubai official site (http://www.burjdubai.com/)
- Emaar Properties (http://www.emaar.ae/)
- Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, LLP (http://www.som.com/)
- Dubai Development & Investment Authority (http://www.ddia.ae/)
- Structurae: Burj Dubai (http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0016093)
- SkyscraperCity discussion topic (http://www.skyscrapercity.info/100.php?id=0&bid=1643)
- Emporis.com database entry for Burj Dubai (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=182168)de:Burj Dubai
fr:Burj Dubai no:Burj Dubai pl:Burj Dubai pt:Burj Dubai ru:Бурж Дубай