Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world in Dubai, UAE. Burj Dubai (Khalifa). The tallest building in the world The Burj Khalifa was built
Burj Khalifa is the highlight of Dubai and one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. The majestic skyscraper rose to 828 meters and 163 floors, having been the tallest structure for seven years. He settled down on the shore Persian Gulf and can be seen from anywhere in the city, leaving tourists in silent shock.
Burj Khalifa: history
Dubai has not always been as modern and luxurious as it is now. In the eighties, it was a modest city with traditional two-story buildings, and the flow of petrodollars in some twenty years made it a giant of steel, stone and glass. 
The Burj Khalifa skyscraper was built over six years. Construction began in 2004 with amazing speed: two floors were built in one week. The shape was specially made asymmetrical and reminiscent of a stalagmite, so that the building was stable and did not sway from the winds. It was decided to cover the entire building with special thermostatic panels, which significantly reduced energy costs. 
The fact is that in the United United Arab Emirates the temperature often rises to 50 degrees, so saving money on air conditioning played an important role. The base of the building was a foundation with hanging piles, which were 45 meters long. 
It was decided to entrust the construction to the well-known Samsung corporation, which took into account all the climatic and geological features of the area. A special concrete solution that can withstand high temperatures was developed especially for the Burj Khalifa. It was mixed exclusively at night with pieces of ice added to the water. 
The company hired about twelve thousand workers who agreed to work in terrible, unsanitary conditions for paltry money - from four to seven dollars a day, depending on their qualifications. The designers knew the golden rule that no construction fits within the planned budget, and therefore decided to save on labor. 
The total cost of building the tower cost more than one and a half billion dollars. For a long time the planned height was kept secret. Many were confident that the Burj Khalifa would reach a kilometer, but the developers were afraid of the difficulties with selling retail space, so they settled on 828 meters. Perhaps now they regret their decision, because, despite the economic crisis, all the premises were purchased in a very short time. 
Internal structure
Burj Khalifa was created as a vertical city. It contains inside:
- hotel;
- residential apartments;
- office rooms;
- restaurants;
- observation deck.
Entering the tower, it is difficult not to feel the pleasant microclimate created thanks to the special structure of ventilation and air conditioning. The creators took into account all the features of the human body, so being inside is pleasant and comfortable. The building is filled with an unobtrusive and light aroma. 
The 304-room hotel is designed for tourists who are not concerned about their own budget. The interior design is amazing, because for a long time it was developed by Giorgio Armani himself. Decorated in warm colors with unique furniture and unusual decorative items, the interior is an example of Italian elegance.
The hotel has 8 restaurants with Mediterranean, Japanese and Arabic cuisine. Also present: night club, swimming pool, SPA center, banquet halls, boutiques and flower salon. Room rates start at $750 per night.
Burj Khalifa has 900 apartments. It is curious that the Indian billionaire Shetty completely bought the hundredth floor with three huge apartments. Eyewitnesses note that the room is immersed in luxury and chic. 
Observation platforms
On the 124th floor of the skyscraper there is a unique Observation deck, opening a picturesque panorama of the capital of the UAE. It's called "At the Top". As travelers say, “If you haven’t been to the site, you haven’t been to Dubai.” 
Getting there is not so easy - tickets sell out very quickly. Keep this in mind and purchase your seat in advance; a ticket will cost approximately $27. In addition to the beauty of the ultra-modern city, you can enjoy the view of the night sky using telescopes located on the site. Climb to a viewing height of 505 meters and enjoy incredible views from above, and also take a memorable photo from the pearl of Dubai. Feel the freedom and greatness of the human hands that built this masterpiece. 
The popularity of the place led to the opening of a second observation deck four years later. It was located higher - on the 148th floor, and became the tallest in the world. There are screens installed here that give tourists the opportunity to virtually walk around the city. 
Excursions
Remember that pre-purchased tickets will significantly save your budget and will cost you three times less. It is best to purchase them on the official website of the skyscraper or at the main passage to the Burj Khalifa elevators, as well as with the help of agencies that organize excursions. The last option may be simpler, but somewhat more expensive. 
It is worth purchasing a telescope card: with its help you will get the opportunity to see any corner of the city up close and get acquainted with the historical eras of Dubai. If you plan to visit the tower with a group of friends, then it is enough to buy only one card, as you can use it several times. 
Save some money and spend it on an audio tour about the making of a skyscraper. You can listen to it in one of the available languages, including Russian. The Burj Khalifa tour lasts an hour and a half, but if you don't have enough time, you can easily stay longer. 
- The building has 57 elevators, they move at speeds of up to 18 m/s.
- The average temperature in the rooms is 18 degrees.
- Special tinted thermal glass helps maintain an acceptable temperature and reflect the sun's rays, preventing the entry of dust and unpleasant odors.
- An autonomous energy supply system is provided by huge solar panels and wind generators.
- The building has 2,957 parking spaces.
- Due to poor working conditions during construction, workers rioted and caused half a billion dollars in damage to the city.
- The Atmosphere restaurant is located at a record height of 442 m.
At the foot of the Burj Khalifa there is the most powerful fountain in the world, the jets of which rise 100 meters upward.
Dubai is famous throughout the world for its unique structure, reminiscent of a real stalagmite. This is the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. The height of the building is simply amazing, it is 828 meters, and it consists of 163 floors. Climbing to its top, you can see any point of the Arab metropolis and delight the eyes of tourists who come here from all over the world.
History of construction
The architects developing the project for this structure planned from the very beginning that they would create it under the name “Burj Khalifa”. The height of this skyscraper and the number of its floors were kept in the strictest confidence until the very end of construction. According to the Sheikh of Dubai, this tower was supposed to become a symbol of a new, recently built area, and attract tourists from all over the planet.
Construction of this structure began in 2004. Every day, more than 12 thousand workers came to work to erect the building, who built two floors a week. The height of the Burj Khalifa tower is several hundred meters higher than many skyscrapers; the structure itself has no analogues in the whole world; an asymmetrical shape was invented for its construction. It is thanks to this idea of the architects that this structure can withstand strong winds.
The United Arab Emirates is known for its high temperatures and scorching rays of the sun, so for the construction of the tower a special type of concrete was created that can withstand heat up to +50 degrees Celsius. It’s also not hot inside the building, since it is completely glazed with unique materials that do not allow the sun’s rays to pass through and repel all dust. But despite this, the tower windows are washed every day. The skyscraper is even endowed with its own aroma, which is created by special membranes.
Construction ended in 2010, and the grand opening of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper took place. The height of this Arab landmark instantly made the building famous throughout the world. According to the Sheikh of Dubai, the tower received this name in honor of their president, the Khalifa.
Description
Many people say about this skyscraper that it is independent city in the very center of the metropolis. It has its own electrical and air conditioning systems. Electricity is supplied to the building thanks to a large array of solar panels, and a comfortable temperature is maintained using sea water and underground cooling modules. Therefore, the air inside this building will not warm up above +18 degrees Celsius, which is undoubtedly very important for the hot climate of the UAE.
Near the structure itself there is a beautiful, unique singing fountain, the creation of which cost approximately 217 million dollars. It can throw its jets to a height exceeding 150 meters.
What's inside?
The height of the Burj Khalifa building is quite impressive, so it could accommodate many hotels, offices, apartments and shopping centers. For them, the building has three separate entrances: one is intended for guests of hotel complexes, the other is for office employees, and the third is for residents of apartments.
From the 1st to the 39th floor there is a hotel in the skyscraper, where the interior was designed by the famous designer and fashion designer after whom it was named (Armani). For lovers of an active lifestyle, the designers of the building built sport complexes with swimming pools, located on the 43rd and 76th floors. And from 44th to 72nd and from 77th to 108th there are nine hundred luxury apartments. An Indian billionaire lives on the hundredth floor and bought it entirely as his own property.
Office premises are located from the 111th to 154th floors. The Atmosphere restaurant is located on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa, its height suggests that it is the highest restaurant in the world. The number of seats in it is designed for eighty people.
The observation deck is considered the most popular place in the Burj Khalifa tower (124th floor). Its height is 472 meters.
Excursion to the top
The panoramic platform called At the Top, which means “at the top,” was opened to its first guests back in 2008. Many tourists say that if they have not been to this observatory, they have not been to Dubai.
Many people come here to specifically visit the Burj Khalifa observation deck. Photos from above are stunning: you can photograph an incomparable view or the desert of the Arabian Peninsula. It looks like they were made on board some kind of airplane. There are also many telescopes located in this place; their power allows you to take a closer look at the entire metropolis. Bird's eye view opens beautiful panoramas on Sheikh Zayed Road and the entire surrounding area. Undoubtedly, visiting this observation deck, you will look at Dubai with completely different eyes.
The duration of this excursion is one hour, but this is enough to enjoy all the beautiful views and landscapes.
How to purchase a pass to the tower?
Tickets can be purchased at the skyscraper's box office located on the first level, but to do this you will have to stand in a long line. To avoid this, it is better to purchase them on the Burj Khalifa website. It is also possible to order them from travel agencies, but this will cost 25 dirhams more.
The cost of entry to the tower varies depending on the date of purchase of the ticket and age. Therefore, an express pass will cost AED 400 for both children and adults. Price for regular tickets varies from 95 to 125 AED. It would also be appropriate to purchase a special telescope card worth 25 dirhams. If a whole group of friends or family is going on such an excursion, then one such card will be enough for them; there is no need to take it for each person.
Faktrum tells Interesting Facts about Burj Khalifa.
1. Tallest building in the world
The height of the Burj Khalifa is 828 meters, and the height of the second tallest building in the world (Shanghai Tower) is 632 meters. The difference is more than obvious. Also, Burj Khalifa is three times taller than the Eiffel Tower.
Photos: Novate.ru
2. Inside the building
Those who think that the Burj Khalifa is very impressive from the outside have simply never been inside the skyscraper. The highest observation deck is at an altitude of 452 meters. The building has a total of 164 floors, 1 of which is underground, and as many as 58 elevators that travel at a speed of 10 meters per second (these are some of the fastest elevators in the world). Burj Khalifa also has 2,957 parking spaces, 304 hotels and 904 apartments.
3. The skyscraper was designed by Americans and built by a South Korean company
While the Burj Khalifa is located in Dubai (the skyscraper's original name was Burj Dubai), the building was designed by the American firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Engineers from Chicago have created a special support structure that resembles a three-rayed star. The construction of the building was entrusted to the South Korean company Samsung Engineering and Construction.
4. Several records
It is the tallest free-standing building, the building with the highest residential floor, the building with the most floors, the building with the highest elevators and the second highest observation deck (the highest observation deck is at Canton Tower).
5. What was needed for construction
In order to build such a titanic building, it took a lot of time and effort (namely, 6 years and 22 million man-hours). On especially busy days, more than 12,000 workers were on the construction site at one time.
6. Huge weight
An incredible amount of materials were required to construct the building. So much aluminum was used that it would be enough to create 5 Airbus A380s. 55,000 tons of reinforcing steel and 110,000 tons of concrete were also used. This is approximately equal to the weight of 100,000 elephants. And if you take and stack the reinforcement from a building in a row, it would stretch over a quarter of the Earth.
7. Heat resistance
Dubai is very hot, with an average summer temperature of 41 degrees. Naturally, a building built in this country must withstand extreme temperature changes. That's why more than 300 Chinese experts were hired to develop a cladding system that could protect against local temperatures.
8. Energy consumption
Naturally, living in such a huge building requires a monstrous amount of resources. For example, Burj Khalifa uses about 950,000 liters of water every day. The building also consumes great amount electricity (about as much as 360,000 hundred-watt light bulbs “eat”).
9. Skyscraper washing
How do you clean and wash 26,000 glass panels that always look perfect? This is done by 12 machines, each weighing about 13 tons, moving along special rails on the outside of the building. The cars are serviced by 36 people.
10. Floral design
The Burj Khalifa's design was inspired by the Hymenocallis, a flower that has long petals radiating out from the center. The three wings of the Burj Khalifa spread out to the sides like these petals.
The Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, which has the shape of a stalagmite, is the most tall skyscraper in the world. During construction, the height of this skyscraper was kept secret. This was due to two main reasons. The first reason is that during construction work it turned out that the height of the building could be increased. The second is the possibility of making adjustments during construction in case it turns out that a taller skyscraper is being built somewhere.
See also: Dancing and singing fountains in Dubai - this wonder of the world is located right under the skyscraper.
The height of the tower became known only on January 4, 2010 during the opening ceremony. It was announced that the tower exceeds all skyscrapers known to date, and its height is 828 meters. Since its opening, the Dubai Tower "Burj Dubai" has been called the Khalifa Tower - "Burj Khalifa" in honor of the country's president.
One of the authors of the project is the American architect Adrian Smith, who has repeatedly designed famous skyscrapers, in particular the Chinese Jin-Mao skyscraper. The Burj Khalifa skyscraper was created as a kind of city with its own boulevards, lawns and parks. 37 lower floors The towers are dedicated to the Armani Hotel, named after its designer Giorgio Armani, and 900 luxury apartments are located from the 44th to 108th floors. The hundredth floor of the building is owned by B. R. Shetty, an Indian billionaire, who has three huge apartments at his disposal, and on the 43rd and 76th floors you can relax in the pool, gym, or admire the panorama of the city from the observation deck. The highest observation deck most of which is glazed, is located on the 124th floor of the skyscraper at an altitude of 472 m. Here you can use an electronic telescope for a better view of the city. At the highest altitude in the world, on the 122nd floor of a skyscraper, the Atmosphere restaurant is located. Most of the other floors of the tower are office spaces.
Construction work, which began in 2004, proceeded at a fairly high pace: 1-2 floors per week. The 160 floors were built using concrete work, and the 180-meter spire was created using metal structures. During construction, certain grades of concrete were used that can withstand temperatures up to 50 degrees, and the concrete was laid at night.
The climatic features of the UAE were taken into account not only during construction work. To reduce the effect of swaying in the wind, the tower was given an asymmetrical shape. Glass was used for the building so that it would not allow dust to pass through and would reflect the sun's rays. Special membranes in the floor cool and aromatize the indoor air. All this made it possible to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the building, despite the scorching heat outside.
The tower's solar panels and wind turbine generate autonomous electricity, and the system fire safety makes it possible to evacuate the tower's inhabitants in 32 minutes. 57 elevators operate for visitors to the tower and move at a speed of 10 m/s.
The Dubai press dubbed the skyscraper the “Tower of Pride”, taking into account the fact that it is the tallest structure created in the entire history of construction.
New Year's fireworks from Burj Khalifa in Dubai 2013 HD
is a famous skyscraper over 800 meters high, built in Dubai in 2010. According to experts, this stalagmite-like tower is currently the tallest in the world.
Khalifa Tower is one of the most famous landmarks of the city, always popular with tourists from all over the world. This is truly a building masterpiece, demonstrating the power and wealth of the Emirates.
How was the Tower built?
The cost of this skyscraper is a total of $1.5 billion. This is a truly unique building, representing a real autonomous city in a metropolis. Burj Khalifa even has its own streets and parks with evenly trimmed lawns
The project was developed under the leadership of the world-famous US architect Adrian Smith, who has extensive practical experience in creating this type of high-rise buildings.
And the general contractor of the construction was the well-known Samsung from South Korea, who also participated in the construction of a number of famous skyscrapers in the USA, China and other countries.
Interestingly, the Burj Khalifa was built from the very beginning with the intention of making it the tallest in the world. Therefore, its final height was kept secret until the end, so that someone would not find out and build an even taller building.
In addition, in preparation for the construction of the Tower, a special concrete was invented that can withstand a constant ambient temperature of more than +50 C, and the concrete mixture was poured using ice.
During the entire construction process, public interest in this unique building was extremely high and gave rise to a lot of rumors and newspaper ducks. In addition, it is known that the builders were paid very little, which is why they periodically rebelled.
What's inside?
Today, the Khalifa Tower is the most important element of the business part of the city. Inside it there are offices and offices, hotels and restaurants, apartments and apartments, shops and boutiques, as well as swimming pools, gyms, Jacuzzis, etc.
The skyscraper even has its own atmosphere inside. Through grates in the floor, purified, cooled and aromatized air enters the rooms. The fragrance was also created by perfumers specifically for this Tower.
The skyscraper is glazed with energy-saving glass that does not let the sun's rays in, reflecting them. This allows you to maintain the coolness inside the building, which people in this hot country so desperately need. Glasses are washed every day.
There are more than five dozen elevators in the Khalifa Tower. Moreover, people living or working here have to take elevators with transfers, the architecture of the entire building is so complex.
Next to the skyscraper on the street there is a huge pond with a beautifully illuminated musical fountain, the height of which reaches 150 m. The fountain works to Arabic national music, as well as world modern and classical hits.
It is known that it rarely rains in the Emirates; a small amount of precipitation falls only in winter. Therefore, the Burj Khalifa has a system for collecting not rainwater, but condensate that falls onto the surface of the building from the air.
This condensate is sent through the plumbing system to a special tank in the basement and is subsequently used inside the building for watering flowers and other plantings throughout the complex.
The Tower has the most floors in the world - 163. Previously, the record for the number of floors belonged to the New York Twin Towers, notorious for the fact that they were completely destroyed as a result of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2000.
Inside the skyscraper, on the 122nd floor, there is the famous Atmosphere restaurant. It operates above all the restaurants in the world. And on the 148th floor there is an observation deck, which is also the highest in the world - a height of more than 500 m. 
Excursions to the Khalifa Tower
Tourists love to visit this unique skyscraper and not only for excursion purposes. Here you can stay in one of the hotels and have a great time of relaxation, traveling through the floors and visiting local restaurants, saunas, places of entertainment, etc., although this pleasure is not cheap.