The secrets of the world’s tallest structure; How did Burj Khalifa reach the sky?

Over the course of three weeks, Adrian Smith drew up the initial plans that eventually became the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. In the early 2000s, Emar Properties, the developer of the Burj Khalifa, asked him to consult on his experience in designing very tall buildings. At the time, Smith was working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and had previously designed buildings such as the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai and the Zifenk Tower in China.

Smith and his colleagues, including Bill Baker, a structural engineer at SOM, traveled to New York and discussed tall building design with Emar in an informal meeting. Smith says:

We talked about the design of tall towers; Because these types of buildings are completely different from even a 60-story building.

Finally, Amar asked the SOM team to submit plans for the world’s tallest skyscraper in Dubai. Smith recalls:

I said you should run a two- or three-week brainstorming contest.

A few weeks later, Amar called and said:

We will do the same.

After this, Amar approached several architectural firms, including the SOM team, and provided the initial details of the project:

The height of the building should be between 500 and 600 meters.

The teams had a few weeks to present their designs. Smith and his colleagues presented a preliminary design of what later became the Burj Khalifa. The initial plan was very simple; But it met their needs. They chose us and about a month later, serious work began.

_{Photo source: MSN website}

What is the design of Burj Khalifa based on?

Burj Khalifa is structurally designed with a triple Y-shaped geometry. The design was largely based on the Samsung Palace 3 tower in Seoul, which Smith had previously worked on. Samsung Palace 3 Tower had only 73 floors due to urban restrictions; While it was supposed to be 93 floors in the beginning. Smith explains:

By changing the height, I changed the shape of the tower so that the masses are arranged in two or three floors. It was like making a head for the building.

Although the design of the Samsung Palace 3 Tower in Seoul was not built as planned, Smith still had the idea of ​​a very tall structure with different steps in mind. He came up with designs in which each of the tower’s three legs would separate differently, and the other legs would move upwards until one leg would continue on its own. During the ideation competition, Smith presented these designs to Emar, who accepted them; Because these designs were not only buildable, but also had attractive dynamic features.

Where is Burj Khalifa?

Burj Khalifa is located in the center of Dubai, near Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain. What was once just an empty plot of land is now one of Dubai’s most important business and leisure areas. When the project started, the area had only a few scattered buildings.

How long did it take to build Burj Khalifa?

The construction of Burj Khalifa started in January 2004 and it took 6 years to be completed in January 2010. In January 2007, the 100th floor of the tower was completed and two years later, the top of the tower was built. The opening ceremony was held in January 2010 and the first residents of Burj Khalifa arrived a month later.

_{Photo source: MSN website Photographer: Unknown}

How high is Burj Khalifa?

Burj Khalifa is 827 meters (2,722 feet) tall from base to tip, including spire and antenna. This tower is the tallest building in the world and is twice as tall as the Taipei 101 Tower, which previously held the title of the tallest building in the world.

How much did Burj Khalifa cost?

The cost of building Burj Khalifa was about 1.5 billion dollars. However, Burj Khalifa is not the most expensive building in the world. This title belongs to the “Rawabi Abraaj Al-Bait” tower in Saudi Arabia, the cost of which was 15 billion dollars.

What is Burj Khalifa famous for?

In addition to its impressive height, Burj Khalifa is famous for solving new problems and design challenges that arose in this project. Smith says:

Every time a taller building is designed, you run into issues that didn’t exist before.

For example, when the Burj Khalifa was being designed, Smith’s team was able to use the results of wind tunnel tests to find the best shape to deal with different winds.

How to go to the highest floors in Burj Khalifa?

Access to the highest floors of Burj Khalifa is available to the public through the observation decks on the 148th and 124th floors.

What do you think about the tallest structure in the world? If you have ever visited Burj Khalifa, share your experiences with Kojaro users.

_{Cover photo source: MSN website Photographer: Unknown}