Multimillion-dollar cash flows allowed the UAE to be included in the list of the richest countries; in this regard, the desire for luxury is developing and manifesting itself among residents and officials. Confirmation of this fact was the skyscraper Burj Khalifa (Dubai). The tower was built in record time – in 6 years. The finished project has collected many world records.
Photo: Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Burj Khalifa skyscraper – general data
Burj Khalifa is called the main skyscraper on the planet. After the grand opening, the tower was dubbed the Babylonian, it was able to break two dozen world records.
Interesting to know! It is likely that quite soon the records of the Burj Khalifa building will be closed, as a new tower is being designed in the UAE that is more than one kilometer high.
Until the opening day, which took place in January 2010, the total height and number of floors of the tower were kept in strict confidence. The real height of the tower became known only at the opening of the attraction. The skyscraper visually resembles a stalagmite. The building was originally planned as a city in a city. The skyscraper cost the country’s budget approximately $ 1.5 billion.
The financial crisis has affected the UAE. The initial opening date was planned for 2009, however, due to financial difficulties, the solemn event was held in 2010. The Prime Minister was present at the ceremony, he noted that the majestic building should be called no less majestic. Therefore, it was decided to name the tower in honor of the great caliph.
Inside there are residential apartments, a hotel, work offices, shopping areas, a restaurant, a gym and a jacuzzi, swimming pools, two viewing platforms. The building has special membranes that perform a rather strange function – they flavor rooms in the entire tower. It is noteworthy that the aroma was created individually for a skyscraper. The windows have double-glazed windows with the following qualities:
- do not allow dust to enter the room;
- repel ultraviolet light;
- maintain comfortable temperature conditions.
Given the size and weight of the structure, a specific concrete grade was developed on an individual order. The main operational characteristic is the ability to withstand temperatures up to +50 degrees. It is noteworthy that the solution was prepared at night by adding ice to it.
The tower has 57 elevators. The only elevator that rises through all floors is a service elevator, it is not accessible to guests and residents. The elevator speed in Burj Khalifa is 10 m / s.
The surrounding area is decorated to match a luxurious skyscraper. Near the entrance there is a fountain illuminated by six thousand lighting fixtures and five dozen colored spotlights. Musical accompaniment complements the overall impression of the sights.
How the Burj Khalifa was built
The construction of the Burj Khalifa lasted six years. Weekly builders rented one or two floors. The author of a luxurious, rich project is Adrian Smith. The main feature of the project is to create a sense of the presence of the city in the city – with independent infrastructure, separate streets and park areas. A famous architect Adrian Smith, who designed a skyscraper in China, worked on an architectural project that became a challenge to the whole world.
The shape of the tower imitating stalagmite was not chosen by chance. This design is more stable and better resists wind gusts, which are strong enough at an altitude of 600 m. Particular attention was paid to reducing energy consumption, therefore, thermal panels were used to finish the facade. Their main task is to reduce electricity bills. To organize the foundation, hanging piles with a length of 45 m were used.
Work on the implementation of the project began in 2004. As a rule, 2 floors were commissioned weekly, however, sometimes it was not possible to build one floor in 10 days. The reason for the delays was most often the hot climate of the Emirates. As a rule, construction work was carried out at night.
The construction of a skyscraper attracted 12 thousand workers. Unfortunately, most of them lived in terrible conditions and received a meager salary. Considering that the allocated budget was not enough, a decision was made to reduce labor costs. Construction lasted six years and during this period workers regularly staged strikes.
Interesting fact! Designers until the last moment did not know on which floor they would have to stop construction. Managers feared that the area of the skyscraper would be unclaimed, but 344 thousand square meters. were actively bought out by companies, organizations and individuals.
Technical specifications and architectural features
The technical equipment of the skyscraper not only meets the highest standards of quality and safety, but in a sense is ahead of them. The main difficulty for the designers was to achieve cooling of the building, because in summer the daytime temperature exceeds +50 degrees. Specialists developed a special air conditioning system for the skyscraper, taking into account climatic conditions – air moves from the bottom up, while using sea water, special cooling structures.
Good to know! The morning temperature inside the skyscraper is maintained at +18 degrees. In parallel with air conditioning, the air aromatizes with the help of special membranes.
The building is an energy independent facility. Thanks to the solar panels located on the walls of the structure, the skyscraper is fully provided with electricity. In addition, a huge turbine 61 m long generates electricity.
Many people are interested in the question – how safe is it in a skyscraper and what will happen to visitors in the event of a natural disaster? As a result of numerous experiments and tests, it was found that all the guests of the building will be evacuated in just 32 minutes.
Despite its impressive size, height and weight, the structure stands firmly on the ground. Stability of the building is given by piles with a diameter of 1.5 m and a length of 45 m. In total there are two hundred of them. Also, for greater strength, special balances are used – balls made of a mixture of steel and concrete weighing about 800 tons. The balls are fixed on springs, thanks to which they balance and neutralize vibrations of the structure.
Interesting to know! During a strong wind, the Burj Khalifa tower deviates not a few meters, but the risks of destruction are almost zero.
Given that there is a water shortage in the UAE, the tower uses a modern method of collecting rainwater. Even condensate is collected – droplets flow down the pipes that lead to the tank. Thus, it is possible to collect 40 million liters of water daily, which is subsequently used for irrigation.
The cleanliness of windows and mirrored facade panels is maintained with the help of twelve special machines weighing 13 tons each, they move along the rail system. It is served by almost forty people.
Structure, internal layout
Inside Burj Khalifa is arranged as follows:
- a hotel with a capacity of 304 rooms (Armani personally worked on the design of each room);
- nine hundred apartments;
- office rooms.
In addition, on the floors of the Burj Khalifa there are shopping centers, night clubs, pools, a mosque and an observatory. The tower also has technical facilities, covered parking lots with a capacity of more than three thousand cars. For greater convenience, the building has three entrances. On the very last floors are telecommunication networks.
Restaurant At.Mosphere
The restaurant in Burj Khalifa is the highest on the planet – 500 m (122 floor). The main concept of the institution is that the institution should personify the yacht in the sky, and by service and degree of comfort, evoke associations with a luxurious, chic yacht. The restaurant is located at an altitude of almost 500 m – 122 floor. Many visitors do not pay for food, but for the view from the Burj Khalifa. The hall is designed for 200 people. As for prices, they are, of course, high. However, to come to Dubai and not visit the restaurant in the tower would be a big mistake. Dinner with a breathtaking view from the window at the height of half a kilometer is worth the money spent.
The menu is dominated by European dishes, this is due to the fact that visitors prefer to order traditional European cuisine. Molecular cuisine is especially in demand.
Good to know! Experienced visitors recommend ordering a steak from the chef.
The wine list is represented by fine wines from Australia and New Zealand. The restaurant’s signature appetizer is served with wine – a mixture of nuts and wasabi, but the dish tastes rather strange. Seafood and fish treats are also available. If you want to try a grilled dish, the chefs will be happy to cook it.
When planning a visit to a restaurant, be prepared to be in the realm of luxury. Stylish, modern interior, glass walls, and the ceiling is finished with expensive mahogany. The room is decorated with expensive accessories, and the walls are hung with expensive carpets.
Interesting fact! The restaurant has a telescope through which you can view the landscape in detail.
Practical recommendations:
- The restaurant has a dress code;
- you need to book a table in advance, since there are a huge number of people wishing to visit the institution;
- many tourists note that the portions in the restaurant are small;
- it is best to book a table for the evening – 18-30-19-30, the best views open from windows located opposite the bar;
- fixed prices: breakfast – 200 AED per person, lunch – 220 AED per person, dinner – 580 AED per person, 880 AED per person, if you want to sit at a table by the window;
- time for a visit to the restaurant: breakfast – from 7-00 to 11-00, lunch from 12-30 to 16-00, dinner from 18-00 to midnight.
Lookouts
The Dubai skyscraper has two platforms for viewing the city – it matters because the price of the visit is different. In addition, to visit each tower, it is better to choose a certain time.
- AT THE TOP – the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa is equipped on the 124th floor, one ticket gives the right to also visit the closed observatory one floor above;
- AT THE TOP SKY – one of the highest overview structures – equipped on the 148th floor, the height of the observation deck in Burj Khalifa is 555 m.
Since the opening, the Dubai landmark has been fighting for world-class records. Initially, the upper tower was absent in the architectural plan, since the lower tower was quite enough for a world record. A year after the opening of a skyscraper in Dubai in Guangzhou, the construction of the tower with a place for viewing the city at an altitude of almost 490 m was completed. In autumn 2014, the upper platform was commissioned – a record again in Dubai. In the summer of 2016, the world achievement again moved to the Celestial Empire – an observation platform began to operate on the tower in Shanghai, equipped at a height of just above 560 m.
Cost of visit:
- tickets to Burj Khalifa to the lower observation platforms (open and Observatory) – 135 AED;
- complex tickets to all observation platforms and to the Observatory – 370 AED.
The attraction is open daily from 8-30 to 22-00. For the lower platform, the best time is from 15-00 to 18-30, for the upper platform on the tower – from 9-30 to 18-00.
Hotel Armani in Burj Khalifa
The luxurious Armani Hotel has 11 floors of the Dubai Tower. Giorgio Armani worked on the design of all the apartments. At the disposal of holidaymakers: a separate entrance, a salon where you can take a course of spa treatments, a separate exit to the Mall’s trading rooms.
The basic concept is refined elegance, soft lines and expensive textiles. It also has a TV, free Wi-Fi, DVD player. The hotel has seven restaurants, one of which offers a Japanese menu, at Armani Privé you can visit popular parties.
Good to know! The road to the airport in Dubai takes only 20 minutes.
The rating of the hotel in the tower according to user reviews of the website Booking 9.6. Guests note the excellent location of the hotel. The cost of a double room per day from 380 dollars.
Photo: Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa Skyscraper.
All prices on the page are for August 2018.
Useful Tips
- Tickets for the observation deck of the tower are sold at the box office, it is also possible to book them on the site. Why is it better to choose the second option? There is always a queue at the box office, only tickets to the lower platform are on sale, it often happens that tickets are not available. The next argument in favor of online booking is that tickets at the box office are much more expensive.
- You can book an online ticket 30 days before your visit to the tower and observation platforms. You can pay by credit card.
- Admission is always free for children under four years old, but children must be accompanied by adults, so you cannot buy only a child ticket, you must also purchase an adult ticket.
- In the tower, guests are offered special offers – combined tickets that provide the right to visit the observation deck with a musical and light show of fountains or the observation deck along with the Aquarium, there is also a ticket that gives the right to visit without waiting in line.
- Entrance to the Tower through Burj Khalifa is provided. You need to follow the signs. Guests must leave their belongings in a storage room, and glass objects, pyrotechnics, paints and markers, and alcoholic beverages cannot be brought into the tower. At the entrance there are dress code and face control; it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol before a visit.
- There are several ways to get to the tower:
– metro – trains follow the red line to the tower, Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station;
– by bus;
– by taxi;
– a rental car.
Interesting Facts
- The tallest building on the planet is 828 m high. For comparison, the construction height in Shanghai is 632 m.
- If you think that the exterior of the tower is amazing, you simply weren’t inside the attraction. You will find luxury and wealth in every detail.
- The tower was developed by an American, and the company from South America, Samsung, embodied the project.
- The tower is the highest design that can stand without additional supports, independently, equipped with the highest elevator system.
- Six years were spent on the construction, and 12 thousand workers worked at the site.
- 55 thousand tons of reinforcement, 110 thousand tons of concrete were spent on the tower. If you add up all the spent fittings, you can wrap a quarter of the Earth’s equator with it.
- The tower withstands tremors up to 7 points on the Richter scale.
- The building was decorated with a Gimenokallis flower – the three wings of a skyscraper represent flower petals.
The skyscraper in Dubai is a futuristic project that combines modern technology, the luxury inherent in the East. Not surprisingly, the tower building became a champion in many ways. Undoubtedly, the landmark of Burj Khalifa (Dubai) deserves your attention and visit.
The view from the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, what a skyscraper looks like in the evening and the fountain show in Dubai – all in this video.
