Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Tower of Babel. Visiting Burj Khalifa and ticket price

Work on the original and complex project began in January 2004. The tower was designed by the American company Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Samsung C&T was selected as the general contractor.

Already at the end of September 2004, construction began and proceeded at a very high pace. Within a week, 1-2 floors were erected. The spire, which is 180 meters high, is made using metal structures.

This is a unique structure that has made Dubai famous throughout the world. Burj Khalifa was built using certain grades of concrete that can withstand temperatures of up to 50 degrees. Such concrete was laid only at night, and ice was added to the composition. In total, about 320,000 m3 of this composition were used, and more than 60,000 tons of steel reinforcement.

The construction of the Burj Khalifa (Dubai) cost a huge amount. The UAE spent $1.6 billion on the construction. It should be noted that this amount paid off already in the first year after the start of operation, thanks to the popularity of the structure. After all, not everyone, even the most influential and wealthy people in the world, was able to purchase apartments here. The price of one square meter reached 40 thousand dollars, and they were sold out even before construction was completed.

Design Features

The Burj Khalifa, which you see in this article, is equipped with a turbine that is rotated by the wind and generates autonomous electricity, and a special fire safety system allows the occupants of the tower to be evacuated if necessary in 32 minutes.

There are 57 elevators in the building. They move at a speed of 10 m/s. During construction, the climatic features of the UAE were taken into account. To reduce the risk of the structure swaying in the wind, it was given an asymmetrical shape. All guests who come to Dubai are amazed by the Burj Khalifa. On a tour of the skyscraper, tourists are told that special glass was used for the construction, which does not allow dust to pass through and completely reflects the rays of the sun.

Special membranes are installed in the floor, which aromatize and cool the air in the room. All this maintains a comfortable temperature, despite the unbearable heat outside.

Dubai, Burj Khalifa: description

We have already said that the skyscraper in the UAE is currently the tallest on Earth. in Dubai is 828 meters. This is a large-scale and innovative structure. It seems to pierce the sky and rush upward. For comparison, we can say that the famous London Big Ben is seven times lower than the Arab Tower.

Infrastructure

The vast territory houses a luxury hotel with 300 rooms, offices, 700 VIP-class apartments, a restaurant, parking for three thousand cars, shops of famous brands, gyms, swimming pools, spa centers, Jacuzzis, observation decks and even its own park, the size of 11 hectares. As you can see, this is a truly unique building, Burj Khalifa (Dubai). How many floors does it have? This question is probably of interest to many of our readers. The building has 160 floors.

The skyscraper has an asymmetrical shape, reminiscent of a stalagmite, which seems to grow from the bottom of a cave. Another feature unique building lies in the fact that its foundation is not fixed in the ground as usual. It consists of 200 hanging piles, the length of which is 45 meters with a diameter of 1.5 meters.

Air and temperature

The air in the famous tower is not only fully air-conditioned, but also has its own scent, developed specifically for this building. It is fed into the tower through certain holes in the floor. The temperature in the building is maintained at + 18 °C.

Maintaining a stable temperature is achieved by using tinted thermal glass. It will take at least three months to clean all the glass in the building.

Electricity and water supply

How such a huge building is provided with water and electricity is of interest to many tourists who come to Dubai. Burj Khalifa has an autonomous power supply system. It consists of wind generators with turbines 60 meters long and huge solar panels. Their area is 15 thousand square meters. m.

The water supply system supplies the tower with approximately 945,000 liters of water daily through dedicated pipelines. Their length is 100 km. In addition, there is a special pipeline. Its length is 213 kilometers. Another 34 kilometers of pipes supply cold water for air conditioning.

Observation deck

Basic panoramic platform is At the Top, which is located at 124,451.9 m). We recommend visiting it to everyone who happens to visit Dubai.

Excursions

Visit observation deck You can either independently, by purchasing a ticket at the box office located on the ground floor of the building, or as part of an excursion group. Before your visit, you can put things you don't need in storage rooms. Then be sure to go through a metal detector.

Here on the walls there is various information about the structure and popular quotes related to it. At the appointed time you will be shown to the elevators, but before that you will be photographed. In addition, on the way to the elevator you will see pictures and information about the tallest building in the world, the history of its creation, and the companies that took part in the construction. Access to the elevators, which are designed to transport tourists, is allowed in small groups. During the ascent there is a beautiful light show, accompanied by epic music. The rise takes only one minute.

And now you find yourself on the 124th floor of the building. From here you have a 360 degree view. Half of the site is located under open air, its second part is located indoors. Tourists who have already climbed to the observation deck believe that it should be visited at least 4 times: at dawn, during the day, at sunset and at night.

You are allowed 45 minutes to visit the site, but no one really keeps track of time, so you can stay there as long as you need to enjoy the magnificent scenery. A visit in the late evening or at night is attractive because you can see the musical fountains of Dubai from a great height. There is also a souvenir shop with T-shirts, cups and other paraphernalia. You can also take a photo and receive a photo. When you think you have seen everything you planned, go to the exit, and in a minute you will return from heaven to earth. Before leaving, a pretty girl will approach you and present you with an album with your photo against the backdrop of the picturesque Burj Khalifa.

Faktrum tells Interesting Facts about Burj Khalifa.

1. Tallest building in the world

The height of the Burj Khalifa is 828 meters, and the height of the second tallest building in the world (Shanghai Tower) is 632 meters. The difference is more than obvious. Also, Burj Khalifa is three times taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Photos: Novate.ru

2. Inside the building

Those who think that the Burj Khalifa is very impressive from the outside have simply never been inside the skyscraper. The highest observation deck is at an altitude of 452 meters. The building has a total of 164 floors, 1 of which is underground, and as many as 58 elevators that travel at a speed of 10 meters per second (these are some of the fastest elevators in the world). Burj Khalifa also has 2,957 parking spaces, 304 hotels and 904 apartments.


3. The skyscraper was designed by Americans and built by a South Korean company

While the Burj Khalifa is located in Dubai (the skyscraper's original name was Burj Dubai), the building was designed by the American firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Engineers from Chicago have created a special support structure that resembles a three-rayed star. The construction of the building was entrusted to the South Korean company Samsung Engineering and Construction.


4. Several records

It is the tallest free-standing building, the building with the highest residential floor, the building with the highest large quantity m of floors, a building equipped with the highest elevators and the second highest observation deck (the highest observation deck is located in the Canton TV Tower).


5. What was needed for construction

In order to build such a titanic building, it took a lot of time and effort (namely, 6 years and 22 million man-hours). On especially busy days, more than 12,000 workers were on the construction site at one time.


6. Huge weight

An incredible amount of materials were required to construct the building. So much aluminum was used that it would be enough to create 5 Airbus A380s. 55,000 tons of reinforcing steel and 110,000 tons of concrete were also used. This is approximately equal to the weight of 100,000 elephants. And if you take and stack the reinforcement from a building in a row, it would stretch over a quarter of the Earth.


7. Heat resistance

Dubai is very hot in the summer average temperature here it is 41 degrees. Naturally, a building built in this country must withstand extreme temperature changes. That's why more than 300 Chinese experts were hired to develop a cladding system that could protect against local temperatures.


8. Energy consumption

Naturally, living in such a huge building requires a monstrous amount of resources. For example, Burj Khalifa uses about 950,000 liters of water every day. The building also consumes great amount electricity (about as much as 360,000 hundred-watt light bulbs “eat”).


9. Skyscraper washing

How do you clean and wash 26,000 glass panels that always look perfect? This is done by 12 machines, each weighing about 13 tons, moving along special rails on the outside of the building. The cars are serviced by 36 people.


10. Floral design

The Burj Khalifa's design was inspired by the Hymenocallis, a flower that has long petals radiating out from the center. The three wings of the Burj Khalifa spread out to the sides like these petals.

The largest city in the UAE is Dubai. Burj Khalifa is a building located in this city and recognized as the tallest in the world. The design height of the structure was carefully hidden during construction. For what? Because this tower was originally planned to be built as the tallest structure. And if somewhere in the world they decide to build a building with high performance, the construction plan for the Burj Khalifa would be changed.

History of construction

The fact that it is planned to erect the most grandiose building on the planet was officially announced by local Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum fourteen years ago. The tower was designed as a key building in a new area of ​​the city, which could attract tourist flow here.

At first it was called “Burj Dubai” (which in translation sounds like “Dubai Tower”), but the final stage of its construction coincided with the crisis. Due to a lack of financial resources, they turned to the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi for help. Billions of dollars in support allowed construction to continue, but the building was renamed. The Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai is named after the ruler of Abu Dhabi. He is the current President of the UAE (since 2004).

Height of Burj Khalifa in Dubai

As a result, the data was hidden until the opening of the tower. The height of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai is eight hundred twenty-eight meters! These figures are hard to believe, but they are true. The height of the topmost residential floor is five hundred and eighty-four meters. Thanks to this feature, the building rises above the entire city and is a real symbol that Dubai can be proud of.

The Burj Khalifa, whose observation deck is located at four hundred and fifty meters, surpasses in height many other buildings, including the financial center in Shanghai. However, the latter structure also has its advantages. So, despite the fact that in general the Burj Khalifa is higher than the financial center, the Shanghai observation deck is still at a higher level when compared with the site in Dubai.

What's inside the Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai is a kind of city that is located at a great height. The layout of the floors is made in the form of blocks, each of which has a special function. The building contains approximately nine hundred residential apartments, as well as a huge hotel and many office spaces. A three-story parking complex is designed for three thousand cars.

In addition, the tower has a large number of shopping centers. Burj Khalifa has three separate entrances. They are designed for hotels, personal apartments and offices. In addition, there is sport complexes with swimming pools, gyms and spas. At the level of the one hundred and twenty-second floor there is a restaurant, which is considered an establishment of its kind located at the highest altitude on the entire planet.

The Burj Khalifa has special equipment that cools and aromatizes the air inside the structure. Moreover, the smell was created exclusively for this building. The glass in the tower does not allow dust particles to pass through and is able to repel solar radiation, which guarantees the maintenance of stable temperature indicators.

Also, a special brand of concrete was developed specifically for this building. It can withstand heat of about 50 degrees. The mixture of this material was laid exclusively at night, and a certain amount of ice was added to it.

Financial expenses

The Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai was built with funds in the amount of one and a half billion dollars. Moreover, this complex is also a record holder because the costs of its construction were recouped within a year after it was opened. This fact is due to the fact that the tower is extremely popular as the tallest in the world.

Before the end construction work The development company announced back in 2009 that one square meter in the Burj Khalifa costs forty thousand dollars. Imagine that the popularity of the tower is also due to the presence of an observation deck, registration for a visit to which begins several days before the expected visit.

Records of Burj Khalifa

The whole world knows which building is most famous in Dubai. Burj Khalifa in officially was recognized as a record building, which, in addition to the above-mentioned dignity, has the largest number of floors and elevators moving at a speed of eighteen meters per second. In addition, there is a restaurant on the largest point on Earth - the establishment is located on the one hundred and twenty-second floor of the tower.

But why is the Burj Khalifa observation deck inferior in height to the Shanghai site? If a Chinese tower is equipped with a room at a level of four hundred and seventy meters, then United Arab Emirates it is located at a level of four hundred and fifty meters. What is the reason for this feature? This is because the tower tapers at the top of the structure, so the very top of the structure cannot accommodate people.

Who lives at the top of the Burj Khalifa

The pricing policy for real estate in Dubai is much more affordable than, for example, the cost in cities such as Moscow, London or New York. However, only real rich people can buy their own apartment in this tower. The developers do not reveal names, but many of the buyers speak about it on their own. For example, today we can confidently say that the hundredth and one hundred and first floors were acquired for the purpose of personal use Indian billionaire Shetty. The cost of this purchase is estimated at twenty-five million dollars.

Gold vending machines

Obviously, another feature of the described tower is connected with this. Thus, vending machines in shopping centers usually sell drinks or snacks. But this is not the case with Burj Khalifa. Today there are several machines here that sell real gold. Those who can afford to spend a lot of money buy bars that weigh from two and a half to thirty grams. The image of a tower is engraved on these gold items.

Burj Khalifa fountains

Near the skyscraper there is another attraction that Dubai is rightfully proud of. Burj Khalifa boasts a unique fountain, the most powerful on the planet, spewing water to a level that reaches one hundred meters. At the same time, he is equipped with a device that can force him to draw bizarre figures, moving to the music. In the evenings, the real show of the famous fountain begins, which “dances” to beautiful melodies, and everyone can admire this action.

The Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, shaped like a stalagmite, is the tallest skyscraper in the world. During construction, the height of this skyscraper was kept secret. This was due to two main reasons. The first reason is that during construction work it turned out that the height of the building could be increased. The second is the possibility of making adjustments during construction in case it turns out that a taller skyscraper is being built somewhere.

See also: Dancing and singing fountains in Dubai - this wonder of the world is located right under the skyscraper.

The height of the tower became known only on January 4, 2010 during the opening ceremony. It was announced that the tower exceeds all skyscrapers known to date, and its height is 828 meters. Since its opening, the Dubai Tower "Burj Dubai" has been called the Khalifa Tower - "Burj Khalifa" in honor of the country's president.

One of the authors of the project is the American architect Adrian Smith, who has repeatedly designed famous skyscrapers, in particular the Chinese Jin-Mao skyscraper. The Burj Khalifa skyscraper was created as a kind of city with its own boulevards, lawns and parks. The 37 lower floors of the tower are dedicated to the Armani Hotel, named after its designer Giorgio Armani, and 900 luxury apartments are located from the 44th to 108th floors. The hundredth floor of the building is owned by B. R. Shetty, an Indian billionaire who has three huge apartments, and on the 43rd and 76th floors you can relax in the pool, gym, or admire the panorama of the city from the observation deck. The highest observation deck most of which is glazed, is located on the 124th floor of the skyscraper at an altitude of 472 m. Here you can use an electronic telescope for a better view of the city. At the highest altitude in the world, on the 122nd floor of a skyscraper, the Atmosphere restaurant is located. Most of the other floors of the tower are office spaces.

Construction work, which began in 2004, proceeded at a fairly high pace: 1-2 floors per week. The 160 floors were built using concrete work, and the 180-meter spire was created using metal structures. During construction, certain grades of concrete were used that can withstand temperatures up to 50 degrees, and the concrete was laid at night.

The climatic features of the UAE were taken into account not only during construction work. To reduce the effect of swaying in the wind, the tower was given an asymmetrical shape. Glass was used for the building so that it would not allow dust to pass through and would reflect the sun's rays. Special membranes in the floor cool and aromatize the indoor air. All this made it possible to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the building, despite the scorching heat outside.

The tower's solar panels and wind-driven turbine generate autonomous electricity, and the fire safety system makes it possible to evacuate the tower's inhabitants in 32 minutes. 57 elevators operate for visitors to the tower and move at a speed of 10 m/s.

The Dubai press dubbed the skyscraper the “Tower of Pride”, taking into account the fact that it is the tallest structure created in the entire history of construction.

New Year's fireworks from Burj Khalifa in Dubai 2013 HD

Burj Khalifa is the most high tower peace. Until 2010 it was called Burj Dubai or simply Dubai tower. Its shape is similar to a stalagmite - a wide base and a sharp tip pointing straight up.

Construction took six years, with one or two floors being added every week, until the tower was finally opened on January 4, 2010. The architect of this skyscraper is the famous Adrien Smith, known for his previous creations (Jeddah Tower and the Jin Mao skyscraper in China). This project was designed as a “city within a city” - with independent infrastructure, parks and streets.

Cost of building Burj Khalifa

Construction of the tower cost one and a half billion dollars. From the very first day of construction, it gathered a lot of rumors around itself - every now and then there were disputes about its real height.

This building contains apartments, hotels, offices, sports clubs and an observation deck. There are fifty-seven elevators here, but only one elevator can go from the first floor to the last. All others work with transfers.

Burj Khalifa opening hours

The Burj Khalifa is open every day, seven days a week. You can get to the observation decks from 9.30 to 22.00. The most best time for visiting: at sunset, because in this way there is an opportunity to see the panorama of the city and the bay both in daylight and at night, enjoy the sunset and the lights of night Dubai.

Height of Burj Khalifa and number of floors

The height of the most famous and impressive tower is 828 meters, which is 2716.5 feet.

The building consists of 163 floors, which is a record in the world for the following parameters:

  • the tallest tower in the world;
  • the world's tallest free-standing structure;
  • the largest number of above-ground floors;
  • highest level of floor used;
  • the highest observation deck (at an altitude of five hundred and fifty-five meters);
  • the tallest elevator in the world.

The height of the tower is calculated from the lowest passage into the building; technical floors are not included in the calculation: forty-six floors located inside the spire and two underground floors.

Attraction Burj Khalifa - Singing Fountain

The world famous singing fountain in Dubai is also located here, the height of its jets reaches a record 150 meters. This water wonder of the world is located at the foot of the tower, the fountain is located in the middle of an artificial lake. The area of ​​this reservoir is more than 12 hectares. The water system was designed by the American company WET, previously known for its project in Las Vegas - a fountain in front of the Bellagio casino.

The Dubai Fountain is illuminated by 25 color and 6660 spot spotlights. Its length is 275 meters.

The fountain can perform many compositions, for example:

  • "Sama Dubai", in honor of Sheikh Mohammed;
  • "Baba Yetu" (Our Father), a Grammy Award-winning song;
  • "Shik Shak Shok", Arabic song;
  • "Inshed An Aldar" ("Ask About Home"), a song written in the UAE specifically for the opening of the Burj Khalifa;
  • “Partirò (“Time to Say Goodbye”), song performed by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman;
  • "Dhoom Thana", a Hindi song from the film When One Life Is Not Enough;
  • "Bassbor Al Fourgakom";
  • “I Will Always Love You”, song by Whitney Houston and others.

Skyscraper design

The Burj Khalifa stands firmly on the ground thanks to piles one and a half meters in diameter and forty-five meters long. There are two hundred such fastenings in total. A special feature of the tower is its shape; thanks to its asymmetry, the building is not so susceptible to fluctuations from the wind, and the cladding of the building with thermal panels ensures coolness in the interior.

Special counterweights are installed inside the tower to make the building even more stable - this is a special ball made of concrete and steel. Its weight is about 800 tons. This structure is supported by springs and balances the amplitude of the Burj Khalifa's vibrations.

In fact, the tip of the building deviates from its axis by more than a couple of meters. And the mass absorption mechanism helps reduce the risk of destruction of skyscraper structures to zero. The tower can withstand wind gusts and shocks up to 7.0 on the Richter scale.

Interestingly, ice was added to the concrete solution during the construction of the tower and the structures were poured only at night, since during the day the temperature was too high for this. After drying, the solution is not afraid of either high or low temperatures. Burj Khalifa is considered one of the safest buildings in the UAE and the world.

It is interesting to note that the Burj Khalifa uses a modern method of collecting rainwater and then using it. There is practically no rain in this area, so additional water is collected from condensate. The collected water is sent through a pipe system to a special tank located in the basement of the building. Every year, up to forty million liters of water are collected in this way. It is mainly used for irrigation.

It is logical to assume that the windows in a building need to be washed both inside and outside. Additionally, the 26 thousand mirror panels that line the building should be cleaned. For these purposes there are twelve special machines, each weighing thirteen tons. These mechanisms ride on special rails along the outer walls of the building. More than thirty-six people are employed to maintain this system.

Observation decks at Burj Khalifa

The main observation deck is at an altitude of 452 meters above ground level, it is located on the 124-125 floors of the tower. Official name of this place - At the Top, which means “at the top”.

One hour is enough to enjoy the panorama of Dubai from the height of an airliner flight. During this time, you can see 360-degree views around the skyscraper.

But this is not the highest observation point of the Burj Dubai. At an altitude of 555 meters there is a legendary site that has broken all world records. It occupies the 148th floor of the building.

Both the first and second (high-rise) sites are open to the public with tickets.

Burj Khalifa ticket prices

Usually, huge queues of tourists line up for tickets, and in order to get the coveted pass to the tower you will have to wait for hours. Therefore, it is recommended to buy and book tickets online in advance on the official website. But even there you have to wait, since the number of people wanting to visit the main attraction of Dubai is simply off the charts. Therefore, it is necessary to plan your visit to the skyscraper in advance.

Tickets for visiting the observation decks can also be purchased at the box office, which are located in the Dubai Mall on the LG level: this is the lowest level shopping center. You can get to the ticket sales point by following the signs or by taking a Dubai Mall map in advance.

Exactly the same tickets can be purchased on the lower floor of the Burj Khalifa itself.

Tariffs may vary depending on the selected options:

  • The price of an adult ticket to a low observation point is from 149 AED. It may vary depending on the time of day and day of the week.
  • The highest observation deck will cost more - from 378 to 533 AED, depending on the time of visit.
  • There are express tickets available that allow you to go up without a queue to the 124th floor and then buy a ticket to the second observation point and climb to the very top. This method will cost about 700 AED.
  • Children under four years old are free.

Below you can buy tickets for the 124th and 125th floors, as well as book excursion tours:

Buy at

Tickets to the observation deck can also be purchased at the ticket office on the first level of Burj Khalifa.

Undoubtedly, despite the price, every tourist should visit these unusual sites, because they have no analogues in the world!

Hotels near Burj Khalifa in Dubai

There are many luxury hotels near the famous Khalifa Tower, such as:

  • Armani Hotel Dubai is a hotel located in the tower itself from the first to eighth floors and from the thirty-eighth to thirty-ninth floors. The rooms offer panoramic views of the fountain and the Arabian Gulf. The Italian head of the fashion house Giorgio Armani was personally present at the opening of the hotel. There are also cafes, restaurants and lounge areas.
  • Dream Inn Dubai Apartments - Burj Residences - the hotel is located 600 meters from the skyscraper.
  • The Address hotel is located in Dubai Mall, it was opened in 2009, and the last renovation took place in 2013. There are forty-three floors with two hundred and forty-two rooms.
  • Palace Downtown - the hotel is located 500 meters from the Burj Khalifa.
  • Address Boulevard - located 400 meters from the Dubai Tower.

All hotels in this area have four or more stars, they operate on an all-inclusive basis, have their own parking lots, bars, restaurants and swimming pools.

It is recommended to book a hotel in close proximity to the Burj Khalifa in advance.

How to get to Burj Khalifa in Dubai

You can get here in these ways from different parts of the city. For example:

  1. Metro. To do this, you need to get to the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station using the red metro line.
  2. By bus. Bus routes number 27, 28, 29, 81, F13 go here to the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall stop.
  3. By taxi. Using a city taxi or ordering a car through special applications: Uber, Smart Taxi, Careem, RTA Dubai, KiwiTaxi.
  4. By renting a car. You need to go focusing on the Financial Center, which is located next to the skyscraper.

Burj Khalifa - panoramas Google streets Maps

Observation deck at Burj Khalifa, panorama



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