Burj Khalifa : The Man-Made Everest – Erakina
The tallest skyscraper in the world represents the unparalleled growth of Dubai as a global centre of excellence. It is aimed at representing the changing dynamics of the middle east to the world. Mutating from unrest to stability, from static to a dynamic economy, from impoverished to a prosperous Dubai. It is owned by Emaar Properties, PJSC which is a real estate giant. When inaugurated in January 2010,it easily surpassed the Taipei Financial Center building(508m) in Taiwan, as the tallest building in the world. The construction commenced in January 2004, and was formally inaugurated on January 4, 2010 and was named after the leader of the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al Nahyan.
Fascinating Facts of the Tallest Structure
These are some of the records held by the Burj Khalifa which makes it all the more a tourist magnet and arousing curiosity of the people all over the word
- Tallest building in the world
- Tallest service elevator in the world
- Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
- Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
- Highest occupied floor in the world
- Tallest free-standing structure in the world
- Highest number of stories in the world
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has 3 criteria to determine what makes a tall building tall. Burj Khalifa wins in all three categories of Height to architectural top, Highest occupied floor and Height to tip.
The Tallest Architectural Marvel
It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) with Adrian Smith.
The design has a Islamic architectural touch. The tower arises from the flat base with 27 setbacks in a spiral pattern which helps in decreasing the cross section of the tower. The setbacks are arranged in a way to minimize vibration from the wind. The central core emerges at the top and is carved to form a finishing spire. At its highest point, the tower oscillates a total of 1.5 m. These specifications make the tallest building in the world stand mightily at its place. There are 1,000 pieces of art adorned on the interiors of Burj Khalifa. Earlier it was thought to be a purely residential building but at present with 160 levels it has a flurry of activities taking place at the tallest building in the world..
The tower, with 160 levels, houses The Armani Hotel on the lower 15 floors, residential apartments, swimming pools, rooftop restaurants, observatory decks and corporate offices. The tall exterior is so huge it would take 3-4 months for 30-40 workers to clean the whole exterior.
Attractions near The Burj Khalifa
The Dubai Fountain:
The Dubai Fountain was inaugurated in May 2009. It has a brilliant illumination of 6,600 lights, with fountain water reaching up to a 50-storey building .It can innovate a variety of patterns and combinations in the air with the added advantage of ability to spray approximately 22,000 gallons of water in the air The high-pressure water shooters, inside the fountain makes the fountain water dance to Arabic and pop tunes which mesmerizes thousand of spectators everyday.
Base Jumping and Climbing
It has been used by experienced French BASE jumpers Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen for breaking the Guinness book of world record of the highest BASE jump from a building after they leapt from a platform, built at the top of the tallest tower in the world, at 828 metres.
Alain Robert scaled the exterior of Burj Khalifa. The climb was completed in six hours and was done with a rope and harness.
Awards and Controversies
Since its inception in 2010 it has been the recipient of various international awards including the prestigious “Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa” award by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and the best project of the year at the Middle East Architect Awards 2010.
With its share of positives some negatives also come along with it regarding the protests of labour union for working conditions and human fatalities due to jumping from the higher floors of this tall tower.
Overall it’s a man made wonder and deserves a place in our bucket list which can be activated post the pandemic and make it a memorable experience to the tallest man made structure.
– by Abhilasha Paul
17/11/2021
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