Final height of Burj Dubai, to be inaugurated today, is still a secret
Final height of Burj Dubai, to be inaugurated today, is still a secretDubai is set to open the world's tallest building today, celebrating the tower as a bold feat on the world stage despite the city's shaky financial footing.
But the final height of the Burj Dubai Arabic for Dubai Tower remained a closely-guarded secret on the eve of its opening.
At more than 800 m, it long ago vanquished its nearest rival, the Taipei 101 (509 m) in Taiwan.
The Burj's record-seeking developers didn't stop there.
The building boasts the most storeys and highest occupied floor of any building in the world, and ranks as the world's tallest structure, beating out a television mast in North Dakota.
Its observation deck on floor 124 also sets a record.
"We weren't sure how high we could go," said Bill Baker, the building's structural engineer.
"It was kind of an exploration... A learning experience". Baker said early designs for the Burj had it edging out the Taipei 101, by
10 m.
The Burj's developer, Emaar Properties, kept pushing the design higher even after construction began, eventually putting it about 300 m taller than its nearest competitor.
| Top 10 So Far |
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1) Taipei 101, Taiwan: 509 m
2) Shanghai World Financial Center, China: 492 m
3 and 4) Petronas Towers 1 and 2, Malaysia: 452 m
5) Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago, USA: 442 m
6) Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China: 421 m
7) Two International Finance Center, Hong Kong: 414 m
8) Citic Plaza, China: 391 m
9) Shun Hing Square, China: 384 m
10) Empire State Building, New York: 381 m |
