Burj Dubai

Burj Dubai

Burj the dubai tower image coutsey: motherjones.com

Burj Dubai (The Dubai Tower)

A tower in Dubai that is building records.

If the height of the building gives its honor the credit as tall as the building then people of Dubai has a credit as tall as no other people in the world can attain in the near future. Burj Dubai being built in the Downtown of Dubai is already 1680 feet in height, how much it may measure when completed is a closely guarded secret and there are only rumors to quench our thirst to know it, as per the most popular the final height of this tower would be 2275 feet and a not so ‘unpopular’ source it would be 3005 feet! The fact which the Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Moktoum of Dubai alone knows!

Tallest by all measures!

Work for this super-stall sky-scraper began in 21^st September, 2004 is progressing smoothly, so far 141 stories have been completed making the building the tallest building in the world with a height of 1680 feet over taking the Petronas tower of Taiwan’s Taipei 101 which is 1667 feet in height. The height of a structure is calculated in various standards, one for buildings, one for other free standing towers, and those which are supported by wires form a different category.

Jumping hurdles one by ones.

There is one more hurdle in Burj Dubai’s way to be tallest free standing manmade structure as the CN Tower of Toronto Canada is 1814 feet in height (it is the tallest free standing structure (not supported by stay-wires) in the world. There is a TV mast in Dakota the (KVLV TV mast) which stands assisted by the support of wires it is 2072 feet in height. These are no issue before Burj Dubai as record breaking has been a habit for it ever since it has started from the laying of its first brick! Even sky is not a limit to this one; which is growing vertically day by day.

Those behind the giant.

It is expected that this tower will be completed in 2008 itself and will be occupied by 2009. It is a part of the mega development project known as ‘first interchange’ or defense roundabout along the Sheik Zayed Road at Doha Street. The gargantuan tower belonging to the ‘Emar Group’ Dubai; is designed by Skidmore Owings and its structural and mechanical engineering works managed by Merrill & LP (SOM) of Chicago and its contractors are Samsung of South Korea.

TV mast v/s Towers!

There have always been disputes about the height of a building or a structure which are the categories to be avoided for comparison has always an issue, there are towers carrying TV antennae (with support of guy wire and free standing), there occupied buildings as well as unoccupied, there are completed as well as incomplete buildings, there are oil drilling platforms in the sea with major portion of its height below the sea, each one claiming as the highest in a particular category. The following are a mixture of all structures from all groups.

The Giants in buildings and structures.

Burj the dubai tower image coutsey: wikipedia.org

The Empire State Building is no doubt the mother of all tall building which is in New York with a height of 1250 feet. Built in 1931.

Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China 1381 feet. 1998

Seers Tower Chicago USA 1451 feet. 1973.

Petronas Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1483 feet. 1998

Taipei 101, China 1667 feet. 2003.

KVLY TV mast 2072 feet 1963.

Petronius Platform 2001 feet 1998

WTC New York, USA (destroyed in terror strike) 1727 feet 1973

All the disputes regarding the highest structure will end the Burj Dubai will be completed as it would be highest by any means, no oil drilling platforms, no TV mast or any ‘small building’ with an antennae of whatever length will not match it!

What is inside, a peep hole.

Let us see what are to be set up in the building when it is complete, world’s most coveted and expensive paraphernalia alone will be there, there is no doubt regarding that. It will house 30,000 homes, nine hotels, world’s best spas, an observation tower that is at 124^th floor at 1450 feet above ground visitors can watch the city from more than 200 feet above the top of the Empire State Building! parkland and to crown it all there will be the first hotel of Giorgio Armani of Italy the king of fashion world along with all the entertainment amenities for the visitors, altogether tow square miles of carpet area with all exquisite sights and services found around the world all below a single roof!

Up; Up; and away!

It is said that the originally planned building was only a clone of the Grollo Tower with a height of only 1837 feet, and the plan had undergone several changes (each time the proposed height kept on increasing) with active participation of architects Skidmore Owings to 2313 feet (the latest height is not released). Only thing without doubt is that when completed no manmade structure will excel it in height or luxury! Because it is being made as a part of Dubai’s national policy to change its role from a trading centre to one that can render high end services; where there is real money to be tapped.

The competitors.

There are many who roll up their sleeves to face Burj Dubai head on, as their real problem is that they are kept in the dark regarding the real height of Burj Dubai and if that was known they could start designing one with a greater height! Al Burj (The Tower) proposed to be built about 50 kilometers away from Burj Dubai is a potential threat as the proposed the height of that tower also is not published (probable they may be waiting for Burj Dubai to be complete and to make changes in the design to excel Burj Dubai!

The Murjan? Only 25 years after!

The Murjan Tower proposed to be built in Manama, Bahrain is said to be 3353 feet. There is one more on the designers table (computer) the 3284 feet mammoth Mubarak al-Kabeer Tower to be built in Kuwait, this one is not just a tower as it is a self contained town-ship with all amenities, the most prominent one being the Olympic Stadium along with residences, hotels, shopping malls and all sorts entertainment facilities. This one is expected to take 25 years to complete.

All only in the disks!

While competitors are only hard disks Burj Dubai is 85% complete! And it is almost ready to be the star attraction for amazing the world for almost the next ten or fifteen years to come. If the rumors about the height of 3084 feet are right this century belongs to Burj Dubai! And it will holding records like, world’s highest manmade structure, highest observation balcony, highest spire, highest occupied floor, highest roof-top, and several other records it is going to be created.

Congratulates the whole team.

A tower more than double the height of the present tallest building has the right to boast it. Sure all the hands behind this wonder deserve credit for the great work they are engaged!