Burj Dubai: A Flagpole of Stupendous Achievement

With the boost of economy in United Arab Emirates, Dubai has taken the flagpole of one of the most stupendous achievement not only in architecture but I would say the dream of every city: highest free standing structure in the world: the silvery sheated concrete building - Burj Dubai.



Burj Dubai's design is a symphony of towers vaying heights cursed and bonded to soar on a once unreached skyline throughout the planet. Higher than the building could soar is perhaps what Adrian Smith feels, architect of Burj Dubai under the commission of world's top architectural firm: Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM) who took the commissioned of Sears Tower at Chicago and Freedom Tower at New York. While design is materialized by builders: Korean company Samsung Enginering & Construction who handled Petronas Twin Tower and Besix from Belgium in the command on construction manager Arabtec Turner Construction Company from UAE. Burj Dubai is under the development of Emaar Property.



The building sits at the downtown of Dubai at the First Interchange ( aka "Defence Roundabout") along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street and still under construction.

Burj Dubai's superb astronomical height stays unknown for the apprehension of other structures on competing it. But secrets don't lasts, especiallay on such craved-fact. Contractors from Burj Dubai claims for the height of 818 meters equivalent to 162 floors. While Greg Sang, construction manager claims a rough estimate of higher than 700 meters and advocated for the well-known fact as the presumably highest free-standing structure in the planet, the definite thing in the future as nearly everyone claims.

Projects construction costs US$4.1 billion for the building itself while the whole premise, "Downtown Dubai" costs US$20 billion. By the midterm of construction phase February 2007, Burj Dubai had surpassed the Sears Towers in the title of the most number of floors. Next honor accounted for the highest vertical concrete pumping on any building at 452 meters (1.483 feet) just 3 meters away from Taipei 101 and by July 21, 2007 Dubai in unfinish state took the honor as the tallest building on the world.



Geometry of the buildinng footprint is inspired by the flower hymenocallis while partly lives in the Islam Architecture. Many found that the design of Burj Duabi with its downtown is an exemplary, for it is a reminiscent of Frank Lloyds Wrights' vision "The Illinois". The basic geometrical design of floor plan spells in "Y" shape; facing the opening side to showcase the views of Persian Gulf. But there is something more prevailing, the wind. to combat this, engineers rotated the plan from its original orientation to 120 degrees to appease on strong winds. And from its peak, Burj Dubai sways at 1.2 m.

Burj Dubai with its downtown boosts on the value of real estates. Mohamed Ali Alabbarm the CEO of Emaar Properties, speaking at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 8th World Congress accounted for the exorbitant land values:

Burj Dubai Office: $4000 per square feet or $43,000 per square meters

Armani Residences (In the premise of Burj Dubai): $3500 per suare feet or $37,500 per square meters.


Once again, indeed Burj Dubai has rewritten the history by reclaiming the Middle East as having the would-be highest soaring structure since 1311 A. D. when Great Pyramid of Gizan was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral of England.