Dubai claims world's tallest building title

[Matt in the Hat]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/23/tallest_building/

Dubai declared on Saturday it now boasts the world's tallest building, with the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) scraping the sky at 512.1m (1,680ft) a year before its slated completion.

The Burj Dubai, built by South Korea's Samsung, now stands at 141 storeys, outstripping Taiwan's Taipei 101 which rises a modest 508m (1,667ft). Developer Emaar Properties is keeping tight-lipped on the $1bn structure's final vital stats, but says it will eventually be "more than" 700m (2,296ft) tall and have "more than" 160 storeys.

This reluctance to divulge the full facts may be a response to rival local developer Nakheel, which has announced it will build the equally inspirationally-titled "Al-Burj" (The Tower) - "whose projected height also remains a closely guarded secret", as the Gulf Times puts it.

The Burj Dubai is the centrepiece of a $20bn complex comprising "30,000 apartments and the world's largest shopping mall" - suitably dubbed "Downtown Burj Dubai".

http://regmedia.co.uk/2007/07/23/burj_dubai.jpg

[SwissGCZ]

Yep, Burj Dubai is rising nicely. I pass by it every day on Sheikh Zayed Road...

http://www.emaar.com/Images/DowntownBurjDubai-banner_tcm3-232.jpg

[Matt in the Hat]

Yep, Burj Dubai is rising nicely. I pass by it every day on Sheikh Zayed Road...

http://www.emaar.com/Images/DowntownBurjDubai-banner_tcm3-232.jpg
One of my clients is very active in the Palms project. It always amazes me what's going on in that city.

[AcesHigh]

very old picture



here are some new ones
http://www.burjdubaiskyscraper.com/2007/07July/wtb-burj-2601.jpg
http://i15.tinypic.com/639s6md.jpg

[Gioca]

Let them keep the title. I prefer a focus on smarter planning instead of focusing on size.

[GriffinGunner]

Let them keep the title. I prefer a focus on smarter planning instead of focusing on size.

+1

Signed,

A City & Regional Planning Director with an undergrad in architecture :)

[mmk786]

Let them keep the title. I prefer a focus on smarter planning instead of focusing on size.
dude dont take it personally

[Katie!]

Let them keep the title. I prefer a focus on smarter planning instead of focusing on size.


Just wondering, where is the smart lacking in their planning?

From everything I've seen, they bring in the best in every field and while they do focus on size, they have more than just that in mind when planning these things.

[HSEUPASSION]

There's nothing wrong with it, it's big, functional, well planned, and doesn't look like a parking deck.

[GriffinGunner]

I don't think the comment was intended as a slight against the building or the city, but rather an indication that the title "World's tallest" is not something anyone should be necessarily striving for. I think the building looks nice, myself, and enjoy skyscrapers, but I gave up my yen for having the Tallest being in the US a long time ago.

[el-capitano]

Well its working- after seeing and hearing so much about Dubai recently, I'm considering a holiday there one day to check out whats happening.

I wouldn't have considered it beforehand. To think it used to be all just about the Burj Al Arab, now there's quite a few reasons to go there.

[GringoTex]

That thing's a ********ing monstrosity. Just look at it:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99/ElaineSupkis/baradur.jpg

[Gioca]

Ahhh...behold the beauty of the modern city.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/BurjDubai22.08.07.jpg

[GriffinGunner]

I wonder how long it would take a body to fall from the top of that thing...

[Sachsen]

Ahhh...behold the beauty of the modern city.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/BurjDubai22.08.07.jpg

Wow, that does kind of look like Mordor, now that GringoTex mentions it.

[BocaFan]

The CN Tower is 1,815 feet but I guess that doesn't count as a building (?)

"The Burj Dubai is the centrepiece of a $20bn complex comprising "30,000 apartments and the world's largest shopping mall" - suitably dubbed "Downtown Burj Dubai"

ummm.. 30,000 apartments???? :confused::confused: Can that be correct? So that's like 200 apartments per floor? Some floors don't have any apartments if it has the largest shopping mall in the world.

[Katie!]

From Wikipedia:

The interior will be decorated by Giorgio Armani (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Armani). An Armani Hotel (the first of its kind) will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartment) on 64 floors (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of going on sale). Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor indoor/outdoor observation deck (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deck_%28building%29). The spire will also hold communications (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunication) equipment. An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-entry_swimming_pool) will be located on the 78th floor of the tower.

...

The Burj Dubai has been designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as the Burj Dubai Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Dubai_Lake_Hotel_%26_Serviced_Apartments), 0.03 km² (0.01 sq mi) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_Mall), and the 0.12 km² (0.05 sq mi) man-made Burj Dubai Lake. The Burj Dubai Tower will cost US$ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar) 800 million to build and the entire, complete 2 km² (0.77 sq mi) development will cost around US$ 20 billion.

[valanjak]

The UAE is the best place to invest in for all people in the Middle East . I remember visiting Dubai nearly 15 years ago and it was nothing but desert . The construction boom in the UAE is really impressive and unheard off . People are rushing to invest in that country . The good thing is that once the oil runs out they can depend on other sectors such as tourism. Other countries in the Middle East should follow their path .

[TheLostUniversity]

That thing's a ********ing monstrosity. Just look at it:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99/ElaineSupkis/baradur.jpg

Excellent! :D . Now, is there an analogue to Mt. Doom or does it remain merely metaphorical?

[Gioca]

Wow, that does kind of look like Mordor, now that GringoTex mentions it.

My comment wasn't about that picture, it had an aerial photo included that showed how the actual construction site and how devestating it looked, but the link must be dead, whatever.