Burj Khalifa

The tallest building in the world — 828 metres

The Burj Khalifa is 828 metres — 2.5 times taller than the Eiffel Tower! It has 163 floors, and its lifts fly at 36 km/h. A person at the top sees the sunset 3 minutes later than people below — so in Ramadan the fast is broken later on the upper floors! The building's shape comes from a desert flower, the hymenocallis. Washing its windows takes 36 people 3 months.

The Burj Khalifa (2010, architect Adrian Smith, SOM) is 828 m and 163 floors — the world's tallest structure since 2010 (300 m taller than the previous record-holder, Taipei 101 at 508 m). Its Y-shaped plan disperses wind and gives more windows per floor; three wings taper in a spiral. Foundations: 192 piles 50 m deep, 45,000 m³ of concrete. 330,000 m³ of concrete, 39,000 t of steel, 26,000 glass panels; in 50 °C summers the concrete was poured at night. 57 lifts, the fastest at 10 m/s. 12,000 workers, 22 million man-hours. The observation deck is at 555 m (floor 148). It sways 1.5 m in wind. Construction of the 1 km Jeddah Tower has been paused since 2020 — the Burj remains the record-holder. In 1960 Dubai was a fishing village of 40,000 people.

Fun facts

• At the top of the Burj the Sun sets 3 minutes later — so in Ramadan iftar is later too.
• The building sways 1.5 metres in wind — but you can't feel it inside.
• The Burj Khalifa is 2.5 times taller than the Eiffel Tower.