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The world’s tallest building is now located in Dubai, UAE, but the surprise is, the building is not projected to be completed until 2008.

At present, the Burj Dubai, or Dubai Tower, is 1,853 ft. high (564.9 m) with 152 completed floors. That makes the Burj Dubai the tallest freestanding structure in the world, until now a title held by the CN Tower in Toronto. To give American readers a sense of scale, the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the U.S., is 1,730 ft tall, including the antenna. While the finished height of the tower is officially being kept a secret in order to discourage competitors for the title of world’s tallest building, reports indicate that the tower will exceed 2,121 ft., making it the tallest structure ever built.



So, how do you fill a building that will have approximately 160 floors? With a projected nine hotels, 30,000 residences, and room for office space and fine restaurants. Don’t forget parking either, the building’s huge basement, which is currently the materials storage site for the whole project, will eventually become parking for the project’s 30,000 residents, with additional parking for visitors and office employees. Health will also be a focus, according to the developer Emaar Properties, 150,000 sq ft. of fitness facilities will be available in the building, in addition to four swimming pools.


Of course, in Dubai, the home of such extravagant projects as the Burj al-Arab, and the Palm Island Trilogy, being tallest building isn’t quite enough. In addition to the structural records, the Burj Dubai’s official website indicates that the building will also hold the world’s fastest elevators, clocking in at 40 miles per hour, while moving 42 people on two decks. Even more pioneering is the Burj Dubai’s approach for collecting condensed water (a bi-product of the hot, humid air outside and the cooling of the tower) and redistributing it to the buildings landscape plantings, via an irrigation system. This innovation will save the Burj Dubai an estimated 15 million gallons of water every year, an important step in a place where drinking water can cost fifty cents US$ per gallon, even buying in bulk.

Overall, the Burj Dubai is expected to cost US$ 4.1 billion, and is part of a US$ 20 billion project called “Downtown Dubai”, which will include a man-made lake and several other towers.

A Recent Walk Site Walkthrough by ArabianBusiness.com is here.

[Source: Lee Nunley (Guest Blogger) for InventorSpot.com]