Posted on 01/04/2010 11:16:22 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The world's tallest building has been opened with a dramatic fireworks ceremony in the Gulf emirate of Dubai.
The Burj Khalifa was revealed to be 828m (2,716ft) high, far taller than the previous record holder, Taipei 101.
Known as the Burj Dubai during construction, the tower has been renamed after the leader of Dubai's oil-rich neighbour, Abu Dhabi.
Last month, Abu Dhabi gave Dubai a handout of $10bn (£6.13bn) to help it pay off its debts.
Construction of the Burj Dubai began in 2004, at the height of an economic boom.
Clad in 28,000 glass panels, the tower has 160 floors and more than 500,000 sq m of space for offices and flats.
The tower also lays claim to the highest occupied floor, the tallest service lift, and the world's highest observation deck - on the 124th floor.
The world's highest mosque and swimming pool will meanwhile be located on the 158th and 76th floors.
Technical challenges
The opening ceremony, held 1,325 days after excavation work started, was attended by some 6,000 guests.
Though not complete on the inside, it was officially opened by Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Burj Dubai The Burj Dubai dwarfs its neighbouring buildings
In a surprise move he renamed it Burj Khalifa - after the president of the United Arab Emirates and emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
I thought standing on the little section of glass floor was pretty cool.
I am very much surprised that there aren’t twin tall buildings on each side that resemble minarets. Anyone see any muslim or satanic symbols?
For the very same reasons why Americans built the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center and the Sears Tower.
On the way up from the restaurant/gift shop level; I made the mistake of telling the operator I wasn’t too crazy about heights. He went into great detail about the unrestricted visibility from the upper observation deck; especially down. Ye gads.
Y’know...I wouldn’t mind visiting the place at least once. I’m fascinated with REALLY tall buildings. I’d go, look around, go as high as I could, take a few pictures....
...and then get the Hell outta there and never return.
Here is a video from the top of the tower, I’m not kidding, watch it, it’s absolultely horrifying ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eU5QpFZAfo
That is amazing...thanks!
Hell of a glass job.
Yeah, mosques never get hit with bombs....................
you miss the point entirely... if you build it, they will come.
Think not in 90 day intervals, but in decades
So how long before someone uses it as a base jump site? Or climb it from the outside?
I imagine prison for those who attempt.
being that i am afraid of heights, i thought it would be too difficult for me to watch... not so bad... however, being up there personally, i couldn’t do it... maybe i would if i were triple dog dared, and talked myself into it...
There is already a UTube video showing base jumping. Got away with it the first time, got arrested the second.
IIRC they opened the chutes a little before they got down to the level of the tallest buildings in the surrounding area. Quite a video.
Isn’t it obvious? All of these towers are so obviously phallic it is laughable. These towers are designed and built by MEN. It’s the eternal primal battle for verility and supremecy.
*2) If and when we do build the New York Freedom Tower, how tall will it be compared to the Dubai Tower ?*
Freedom Tower was originally designed to be 1776 feet tall. For whatever reason, it was scaled down.
Either way, it will be dwarfed by this building.
Although some disagree with me, I think the biggest problem is that there's currently no economic incentive to build the new building. New York is shrinking, not expanding, and the increasing taxes are only going to speed up the exodus.
Apparently 3
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