Why Burj Khalifa is considered as 'the tallest man-made structure ever built'? | Why it was made?

shivamsah969
Oct 10, 2021
2 min read

'Burj Khalifa'

is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the tallest man-made structure ever built. Its construction began on September 21, 2004, and the exterior of the structure was completed on October 1, 2009. The building is a part of the new 490-acre flagship development area called Downtown Dubai, located near Dubai's main business district.

It has a height of over 828 meters and more than 160 storeys. It is not only the tallest building in the world but also the tallest free-standing structure in the world, a record which was previously held by CN Tower, Toronto. It is the first tallest structure in the world to include residential space. It also holds the record of having the world's highest mosque, which is located on its 158th floor.

Adrian Smith was its chief architect and Bill Baker the chief structural engineer. The total cost of the project was about US $1.5 billion. The tower has been named Burj Khalifa to honour the UAE President, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support. The decision to build Burj Khalifa was reportedly based on the UAE Government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy to one that is service and tourism oriented.

There are 27 terraces in Burj Khalifa. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes the view of the Persian Gulf. Viewed from above or from the base, the form also evokes the onion domes of Islamic architecture. The residential lobby of Burj Khalifa displays 196 bronze and brass alloy cymbals representing the 196 countries of the world. The visitors in this lobby can hear a distinct timber as the cymbals are struck by dripping water, intended to mimic the sound of water falling on leaves.

Burj Khalifa's water system supplies an average of 946,000 liters of water per day. At the peak cooling times, the tower requires cooling equivalent to that provided by 10,000 tones of melting ice in one day. The building has a condensate collection system, which uses the hot and humid outside air, according to the cooling requirements of the building and results in a significant amount of condensation of moisture from the air. The condensed water is collected and drained into a holding tank located at the basement. This water is then pumped into the site of the irrigation system for use on the Burj Khalifa park.