Burj Khalifa is the world's most prestigious address, offering luxury and personalized services to a limited number of privileged businesses and homeowners. At Burj Khalifa, luxury starts with the three-wing plan that maximizes window area for unobstructed views.
Every aspect of the interiors demonstrates devotion to design, materials and craftmanship. Apart from glass, stainless steel and polished stones, the interiors of Burj Khalifa feature Silver Travertine flooring, Venetian stucco walls, handmade rugs, stone flooring and dark, intricate Brazilian Santos Rosewood to reflect shelter, comfort, and restrained luxury.
The layouts for the common areas are inspired by cursive Arabic writing as rooms flow elegantly in an interplay of light and shadow. Commissioned fine art pieces will be thoughtfully integrated to complete the atmosphere of ultimate refinement.
World Records
At over 800 metres (2625 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Dubai holds the following records:
• Tallest building in the world
• Tallest free-standing structure in the world
• Highest number of stories in the world
• Highest occupied floor in the world
• Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
• Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
• Tallest service elevator in the world
Architecture
The architecture features a triple-lobed footprint, an abstraction of the Hymenocallis flower. The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. The modular, Y-shaped structure, with setbacks along each of its three wings provides an inherently stable configuration for the structure and provides good floor plates for residential. Twenty-six helical levels decrease the cross section of the tower incrementally as it spirals skyward.
The central core emerges at the top and culminates in a sculpted spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes views of the Arabian Gulf. Viewed from the base or the air, Burj Dubai is evocative of the onion domes prevalent in Islamic architecture.
Wind Tunnel Testing
Over 40 wind tunnel tests were conducted on Burj Dubai to examine the effects the wind would have on the tower and its occupants. These ranged from initial tests to verify the wind climate of Dubai, to large structural analysis models and facade pressure tests, to micro-climate analysis of the effects at terraces and around the tower base. Even the temporary conditions during the construction stage were tested with the tower cranes on the tower to ensure safety at all times.
Stack effect or chimney effect is a phenomenon that effects super-tall building design, and arises from the changes in pressure and temperature with height. Special studies were carried on Burj Dubai to determine the magnitude of the changes that would have to be dealt with in the building design.
Floor Plan
Concourse level to level 8 and level 38 and 39 will feature the Armani Hotel Dubai. Levels 9 to 16 will exclusively house luxurious one and two bedroom Armani Residences.
Floors 45 through 108 are private ultra-luxury residences. The Corporate Suites occupy fill most of the remaining floors, except for level 122 which houses a restaurant and level 124, the tower's public observatory.
For the convenience of home owners, the tower has been divided in to sections with exclusive Sky Lobbies on Levels 43, 76 and 123 that feature state-of-the-art fitness facilities including a Jacuzzis on Level 43 and 76. The Sky Lobbies on 43 and 76 additionally house swimming pools and a recreational room each that can be utilized for gatherings and lifestyle events. Offering an unparalleled experience, both pools open to the outside offering residents the option of swimming from inside to the outside balcony.
Other facilities for residents include a Residents' Library, and Burj Dubai Gourmet Market, a gourmet convenience store and meeting place for the residents. Valet parking will be provided for guests and visitors.
Interiors
The interior design of Burj Dubai public areas was also done by the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP and was led by award-winning designer Nada Andric. It features glass, stainless steel and polished dark stones, together with silver travertine flooring, Venetian stucco walls, handmade rugs and stone flooring. The interior were inspired by local cultural while staying mindful of the buildingís status as a global icon and residence.
Artwork
Over 1,000 pieces of art from prominent Middle Eastern and international artists will adorn Burj Dubai and the surrounding Emaar Boulevard. Many of the pieces were specially commissioned by Emaar to be a tribute to the spirit of global harmony. The pieces were selected as a means of linking cultures and communities, symbolic of Burj Dubai being an international collaboration.
-Burj Khalifa Construction Timeline
January 2004 Excavation started
February 2004
Piling started
March 2005 Superstructure started
June 2006
Level 50 reached
January 2007 Level 100 reached
March 2007 Level 110 reached
April 2007 Level 120 reached
May 2007 Level 130 reached
July 2007 Level 141 reached - world's tallest building
September 2007 Level 150 reached - world's tallest free-standing structure
April 2008 Level 160 reached - world's tallest man-made structure
January 2009 Completion of spire - Burj Khalifa tops out
September 2009 Exterior cladding completed
January 2010 Official launch ceremony
Construction Highlights
Over 45,000 m3 (58,900 cu yd) of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes were used to construct the concrete and steel foundation, which features 192 piles buried more than 50 m (164 ft) deep. Burj Khalifa's construction will have used 330,000 m3 (431,600 cu yd) of concrete and 39,000 tonnes (43,000 ST; 38,000 LT) of steel rebar, and construction will have taken 22 million man-hours.
Exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa began in May 2007 and was completed in September 2009. The vast project involved more than 380 skilled engineers and on-site technicians. At the initial stage of installation, the team progressed at the rate of about 20 to 30 panels per day and eventually achieved as many as 175 panels per day.
The tower accomplished a world record for the highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade, at a height of 512 metres. The total weight of aluminium used on Burj Khalifa is equivalent to that of five A380 aircraft and the total length of stainless steel bull nose fins is 293 times the height of Eiffel Tower in Paris.
In November, 2007, the highest reinforced concrete corewalls were pumped using 80 MPa concrete from ground level; a vertical height of 601 metres. Smashing the previous pumping record on a building of 470m on the Taipei 101; the world’s second tallest tower and the previous world record for vertical pumping of 532 metres for an extension to the Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant in 1994. The concrete pressure during pumping to this level was nearly 200 bars.
The amount of rebar used for the tower is 31,400 metric tons - laid end to end this would extend over a quarter of the way around the world.
