World’s Tallest Building Officially Opens In Dubai
Posted January 4, 2010 2:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Following five years of construction and in the midst of a financial crisis, the world’s tallest tower has officially opened in Dubai.
The 828-metre glass and metal structure called The Burj Khalifa opened its doors Monday, formally taking the title of the world’s tallest building, standing more than 300 metres higher than its next skyscraper rival, Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
And it beats out the CN Tower, which stands 555-metres tall.
Aside from owning the world’s tallest building title, the Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest occupied floor and it has the highest observation deck, as well – on the 124th floor.
The massive tapered structure opened under tight security and as the emirate struggles through a financial crisis. The city state has received billions of dollars in bailout funds from its oil-rich neighbour Abu Dhabi.
The building originally opened under the name Burj Dubai, but the name was changed in honour of Abu Dhabi’s leader Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who serves as the president of the United Arab Emirates.
The $1.5 billion skyscraper houses luxury apartments and offices, a private library, four swimming pools and a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani.
The developers describe the building as a vertical city and insist it is safe. There are “refuge floors” at 25 and 30-storey intervals that are fire resistant and have independent air supplies.
