The tallest building in the world with a height of 828 m is the famous skyscraper, which was originally called the “Burj Dubai” (Dubai Tower). It was renamed during the opening ceremony in 2010, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, who dedicated the tower to the President of the United Arab Republic, Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed. And since then it has been called the Burj Khalifa.
The path from project to construction
At first, the tower was designed as a “city inside the city” - in it, apart from the residential and office parts, green lawns, wide boulevards and beautiful parks should have been located. The building was designed by architect E. Smith (USA), already experienced in the construction of similar high-rise structures.
Khalifa Tower is a business and office center in which the hotel (the first 37 floors), residential apartments (700 in total), offices and popular shopping centers are located. The initial budget was expected to be in the range of $ 1.5 billion, but in the final stage of construction this figure almost tripled to $ 4.1 billion.
The foundation was laid in 2004, and every week the height of the building increased by 1-2 floors. During construction, a specially designed type of concrete was used, able to withstand high temperatures (50 ° C). Pouring was carried out at night with the addition of ice. Concrete work was completed by building 160 floors, and then the workers began to assemble a spire consisting of metal structural elements (height 180 m).
The exact height of the Burj Khalifa was a secret until the very last moment. During the construction, there were opportunities to make it higher, but the plans of the construction company for the sale of residential apartments (total area 557 thousand m 2 ) interfered.
Burj Dubai technical device
A special 61 m wind turbine is installed in the tower, and a huge number of solar panels (an area of 15 thousand m 2 ) are located on the walls - all this allows the building to be completely non-volatile. Reflective glass was installed to protect against the hot southern sun, which dramatically reduced the heating of the rooms inside the building. It also allows you to lower the level of air conditioning in the rooms.
The air conditioning system is original - air is sent from the bottom up through all the floors of the tower, and to lower its temperature, special cooling modules with sea water are installed underground. The latest modern fire system is designed to evacuate all residents and visitors of the tower in 32 minutes.
The title "The tallest building in the world" was assigned to the tower back in 2007, but officially the building was put into operation only in 2010.
Interesting facts about the Dubai Tower
- The number of steps in the tower is 3 thousand.
- The number of glass panels is 26 thousand.
- The interior designer of the hotel rooms (160 in total) was J. Armani.
- On the 43rd, 76th and 123rd floors, viewing platforms are provided for tourists.
- The Observatory "On Top" is located on the 124th floor.
- The huge pool is located on the 76th floor.
- The mosque, which is considered the highest in the world, occupies the 158th floor.
- At the foot of the Burj Dubai there is a beautiful Dubai fountain with music.
Sky Tree Tower in Tokyo
Sky Tree Tower (634 m) is the tallest building in the world among modern television towers and the second tower after the “Burj Dubai”. Its construction was completed by 2012 and cost $ 812 billion. Its purpose is to transmit a signal for digital television, mobile communications and some navigation systems. For tourists, there are two viewing platforms at heights of 340 and 350 m, several cafes, a restaurant and a souvenir shop.
Shanghai tower
The third tallest tower in the world is Shanghai, which is a vivid landmark of Shanghai (China). The height of the Shanghai tower is 632 m, its construction was completed in 2015. The unique tower in the architectural style of postmodernism impresses with its slimness and size (125 floors).
The building project was developed by the architectural firm Gensler's design (USA), the foundation was laid in 2008. When pouring the foundation, a world speed record was set - 60 thousand m 3 in 63 hours. The construction was also carried out at a rapid pace and was completed by May 2015.
Shanghai Tower is the largest business center and complex of shopping and entertainment venues visited by tourists from all over the world.
The Shanghai Tower has its own transport routes and diverse infrastructure, it is completely autonomous and non-volatile:
- It houses 270 wind turbines and the most powerful diesel generator, which provide it with electricity;
- rainwater is collected in special containers and subsequently used to heat the building;
- the degree of greening of the premises is 33%.
It contains: a chic hotel for tourists of any rank (up to monarchs); various Chinese and international corporations (offices with an area of 220 thousand m 2 ); shopping malls (50 thousand m 2 ); exhibition halls and museums; a panoramic platform for visitors to explore the whole city; 3 sightseeing elevators move between the floors, which can deliver those who wish to the top in less than 1 minute.
TV tower in the USA
The title of the highest world tower for a long time (from 1963 to 2008) was held by the KVLY-TV television tower, located in North Dakota in Blanchard (USA) with a height of 629 m. Now it remains the second in the world.
Chinese Tower in Guangzhou
The commissioning of the second highest tower in 2010 was dedicated to the start of the Asian Games. This is the tower of Guangzhou. Its height is 600 m. The construction process was carried out by the construction company ARUP. Its design is made in the form of a hyperboloid, the mesh shell consists of steel wide pipes, and its spire crowns it (160 m). Its purpose is the broadcasting of television and radio signals.
Future nominees for the title
The title "The tallest building in the world" is inconstant and can change its owner as more and more high-rise buildings are constructed in the world . The coming years are likely to make adjustments to this list. For example, in 2020, it is planned to complete the construction of the Sky City tower in China, providing for a height of slightly less than 1 km. Azerbaijan plans to build a 1050-meter "Tower of Azerbaijan". So, most likely, the title will go to each subsequent tall structure as they are built.