BURJ KHALIFA

BURJ KHALIFA

Burj Khalifa known as Burj Dubai prior to its installation, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest structure in the world, at 829.8 m (2,722 ft). The construction of Burj Khalifa began on 21 September 2004. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010. The tower's architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago, with Adrian Smith as chief architect, and Bill Baker as chief structural engineer. The primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea. In March 2009, Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of the project's developer, Emaar Properties, said office space pricing at Burj Khalifa reached US$4,000 per sq. ft. (over US$43,000 per m²) and the Armani Residences, also in Burj Khalifa, sold for US$3,500 per sq. ft. (over US$37,500 per m²).He estimated the total cost for the project to be about US$1.5 billion.

World Records

At over 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa 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