The tallest freestanding structure in the world, Burj Khalifa stands 828 metres above the city of Dubai, three times the height of the Eiffel Tower, twice the height of the Empire State Building. It was completed in 2010 and holds a number of world records related to its height.
#1 It’s the world’s:
Tallest free standing building, the building with the highest occupied floor, with the most number of stories, the longest travel distance for its elevators, with the tallest service elevator and the second highest outdoor observation deck. Phew.
They really don’t mess about when they build a tower in Dubai.
#2 Burj Khalifa was not its intended name
The structure was originally going to be called Burj Dubai, but the name was changed at the eleventh hour to Burj Khalifa, in order to honour the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi.
#3 It was inspired by a flower
The tower’s design was inspired by the Greek flower, Hymenocallis, which has long petals coming out from the centre. Translated from the Greek, Hymenocallis means Beautiful Membrane.
#4 It cost a ridiculous amount of money
The construction of Burj Khalifa cost $1.5 billion. That is a lot of money. Like, so much. And every day, the building requires 250 000 gallons of water, and electricity equivalent to 360 000 100-watt bulbs burning simultaneously to supply the occupants with their basic needs.
#5 It has way too many rooms
Burj Khalifa has 163 floors above ground and 1 floor below ground (I guess you can only go up or down. Not both). On these 164 floors, there are almost 3000 parking spaces, 304 hotels and 900 apartments. There are also 58 elevators, which travel at speeds of 10 metres per second, along with a specially designed elevator system for evacuations.