BURJ DUBAI - World's Tallest Building [33 pics]

BURJ DUBAI (meaning "Tower of Dubai") or BURJ KHALIFA, the world's tallest tower, developed by Emaar Properties, was unveiled on January 4, 2010 to a crowd of thousands and the world in a crescendo of fireworks, lasers and fountain displays. The official height of the tower, unveiled as 'Burj Khalifa', was announced as 828 meters (2,716.5 ft).

At 828 meters (2,716.5ft), Burj Khalifa is 320 meters taller than Taipei 101, which at 508 meters (1,667 ft) had held the record for the world’s tallest building measured to the architectural top since 2004, the year the project was announced. Burj Khalifa achieved the distinction of being the world's tallest structure – surpassing the KVLY-TV mast (628.8 meters; 2,063 ft) in North Dakota, USA – 1,325 days after excavation work started in January 2004.

The tower also beats the 31-year-old record of CN Tower, which at 553.33 meters (1,815.5 ft) had been the world’s tallest free-standing structure on land since 1976.

Burj Khalifa employs a record-breaking 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tonnes of steel rebar and 142,000 square metres of glass; and it took 22 million man hours to build. Other world records for Burj Khalifa include the highest occupied floor in the world, at over 550 metres (1,800 ft); the highest outdoor observation deck in the world – At the Top on Level 124; and the tallest service elevator, which travels to a height of 504 meters (1,654 ft).

With a total built-up area of about 6 million sq ft, Burj Khalifa features nearly 2 million sq ft of residential space and over 300,000 sq ft of prime office space, in addition to the area occupied by the keenly awaited Armani Hotel Dubai and the Armani Residences. The tower also features modern lifestyle amenities including clubs, health and fitness facilities, gourmet restaurants and the 124th floor observation deck, 'At the Top.' Burj Khalifa is the focal point of the 500-acre ‘mega-project’ by Emaar Properties, described as the new heart of Dubai.

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FROM THE TOP OF BURJ KHALIFA