Burj Khalifa (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

The Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper, is the tallest building in the world. It is located in Dubai, the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Originally known as Burj Dubai prior to its opening, the Burj Khalifa was renamed in honour of Abu Dhabi’s ruler, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Its total height is 829.8 m (2,722 ft). The Burj Khalifa has broken numerous world records due to its structure and height.

Construction of the Burj Khalifa, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), began on 12 January 2004. This magnificent project was completed on 1 October 2009, whilst the official opening took place on 4 January 2010. The building’s ground plan was designed to make the best use of the residential and hotel spaces.

The base of the Burj Khalifa features a three-lobed footprint inspired by the regional desert flower, Hymenocallis. The tower’s fundamental structure consists of three wings arranged around a central hexagonal core. As the building rises in spirals, the wings open outwards. At the summit, a central core emerges, culminating in a sculptural spire. The spire sways by a total of 1.5 m (4.9 ft) at its highest point. The exterior of the skyscraper features a cladding system designed to withstand Dubai’s summer heat. When viewed from the air, the Burj Khalifa evokes the onion domes common in Islamic architecture; this is because the building’s design is derived from the region’s Islamic architectural heritage.

The Burj Khalifa was designed as the central component of a large-scale, mixed-use development comprising 30,000 homes, nine hotels (including The Address Downtown Dubai), 3 hectares of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall and the 12-hectare artificial Burj Khalifa Lake. The Burj Khalifa, which has 160 floors, features 57 lifts and 8 escalators. The total number of stairs is 2,909.

The building has been used by many experienced BASE jumpers for both authorised and unauthorised BASE jumps. One of these is ‘Spider-Man’ Robert. Robert, who typically climbs in a free solo style, wore a rope and a safety harness to comply with UAE safety regulations. Due to its height and stunning architecture, the Burj Khalifa is one of the world’s most fascinating structures.