The much anticipated Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world, is all set to open today. The final height of the Burj Dubai – Arabic for Dubai Tower, however, remained a closely guarded secret on the eve of its opening, though developers told newspapers it is 818 meters. The record-setting building, which is touted to be the world’s tallest building, boasts the most story’s highest occupied floor of any building in the world. Its observation deck – on floor 124 – also sets a record. The construction for this ambitious project began in 2004. The finished building now boasts of more than 160 floors! Besides luxury apartments and offices, the Burj will be home to a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani. The luxurious residences scale up to 108 floors while the offices are above that. To eat, you can visit the restaurant on the 122nd floor and to exercise; you can use the gym on the 123rd floor. What is more, the Burj intends to host the world’s highest nightclub, 20 floors higher than the gym.
Update –
Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building, was inaugurated and renamed Burj Khalifa after the ruler of UAE. At 2717 feet (828 meters) tall, the incredibly illuminated glass-and-metal tower sparkled with a magnificent fireworks display. Watch the video after the jump.
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The Burj is visible across dozens of miles of rolling sand dunes outside Dubai. From the air, the spire appears as an almost solitary, slender needle reaching high into the sky. Emaar, the Burj’s developer, has said the entire Downtown Burj Dubai development, which includes the tower, will cost $US20 billion to build. What is more, it was reported that at their peak, some apartments in the Burj were selling for more than $US 1,900 per square foot, though they now can go for less than half that. And if developers are to be believed, the entire building is already sold out.
Dubai’s ruler will open the tapering metal-and-glass spire with a fireworks display on Monday evening.
[Yahoo And SMH]
