Four-month Burj delay due to interior design

INTERIOR DESIGN: Emaar said the delay to construction of the Burj Dubai was down to ensuring quality of the interior.
The four-month delay to construction of Emaar Properties' Burj Dubai is related to the interior design of the tower, the developer said late on Tuesday.

Emaar said in a statement it would rather see a "nominal" delay to the project than compromise the quality of building's interior.

"The company would rather opt for a nominal delay in total quality execution of the Burj Dubai interiors than compromise on any aspect of quality," the developer said.

"...several design considerations for the interiors were rejected at various stages of the project development."

The statement follows remarks by Emaar Chairman Mohamed Alabbar earlier on Tuesday that the Burj Dubai was four months behind schedule and might now not be finished by the end of this year as originally planned.

"We are about four months late," Alabbar said at a conference in Dubai, without going into further detail.

Emaar said last month construction on the tower had been stepped up to meet an "accelerated schedule", without giving further details.

An Emaar official said in July the Burj Dubai would open sometime before Christmas this year, which means the tower may not now be finished until spring 2009.

The Burj Dubai currently stands at just over 600 metres, over 90 metres higher than the world's tallest building, Taiwan's Taipei 101, and over 40 metres higher than the world's tallest free-standing structure, Toronto's CN Tower.

The only structure now left for the Burj to overtake is the KVLY/KTHI television mast in Blanchard, US, which measures 628.8 metres.

The Burj Dubai will not be officially recognised as the world's tallest structure until it is completed.

Emaar has remained tight lipped over the final height, but it is rumoured to be between 700 and 1,000 metres.

Local media reports last year said the final height would be 818 metres, citing architects drawings posted on the internet.

The Burj Dubai is to be the centrepiece of a city within a city, Downtown Burj Dubai. The $20 billion development as a whole will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels, 6.2 acres of parkland, 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and a 30-acre manmade lake. The development will cost around $20 billion.

Burj Dubai behind schedule

Emaar Announcement

Alabbar said construction of the Burj Dubai had been delayed by four months.
Emaar Properties' Burj Dubai is four months behind schedule and may now not be finished by the end of this year as originally planned, it has been revealed.

Emaar Chairman Mohamed Alabbar said on Tuesday the world's tallest structure would not be finished on time, without giving further details as to the reason for the delay.

"We are about four months late," Alabbar told reporters.
Emaar said last month construction on the tower had been stepped up to meet an "accelerated schedule", without giving further details.

An Emaar official said in July the Burj Dubai would open sometime before Christmas this year, which means the tower may not now be finished until spring 2009.

Work on the Burj Dubai was delayed in November when around 40,000 labourers employed by Arabtec, one of the construction companies working on the project, went on strike for a week over pay and conditions.

Arabtec Executive Director Tom Berry said at the time the strikes could cause the company miss completion dates for some of its key projects in Dubai.

The Burj Dubai currently stands at just over 600 metres, over 90 metres higher than the world's tallest building, Taiwan's Taipei 101, and over 40 metres higher than the world's tallest free-standing structure, Toronto's CN Tower.

The only structure now left for the Burj to overtake is the KVLY/KTHI television mast in Blanchard, US, which measures 628.8 metres.

The Burj Dubai will not be officially recognised as the world's tallest structure until it is completed.

Emaar has remained tight lipped over the final height, but it is rumoured to be between 700 and 1,000 metres.

Local media reports last year said the final height would be 818 metres, citing architects drawings posted on the internet.

Burj Dubai March 5th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai March 5th 2008 photo update, some random photos of the Burj Dubai for todays photo update.

Burj Dubai offices to top $4,000 per sq ft

Emaar Chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar speaking on Tuesday at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) conference, said the sale of office space at Burj Dubai has received phenomenal response, with the going rate at $4,000 (Dh14,000) per square foot.
He added that the Armani Residences, also in the world’s tallest tower, are selling for $3,500 per sq ft.

Realty experts that Emirates Business spoke to said those rates matched those of property prices in Central London and Moscow’s city centre.

Although 20 to 25 per cent of sales in Burj Dubai have been through “traders” (middlemen and real estate agencies), Alabbar added: “People just do not want to let go of their purchase.”

Burj Dubai will inspire architects of the future

Emaar Properties would rather opt for a “nominal delay” in total quality execution of the Burj Dubai interiors than compromise on any aspect of quality, the company has said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Reuters reported that Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest tower, was about four months behind schedule.

“We are about four months late,” Emaar Chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar told Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) conference without giving a reason for the expected delay, Reuters said.

“Burj Dubai is setting new standards in architecture and construction engineering and Emaar is thus committed to adhering to the highest quality standards at all stages of Burj Dubai’s completion, including the interiors. The company would rather opt for a nominal delay in total quality execution of the Burj Dubai interiors than compromise on any aspect of quality,” a spokesperson said. However, the company statement did not deny the report of delay.

“Quality will be the first priority in the execution of Burj Dubai and several design considerations for the interiors were rejected at various stages of the project development,” Alabbar told the conference.

“Burj Dubai will influence and inspire future generations of architects and engineers, he said.

Although Alabbar has little doubt that “someone” will eventually build a tower higher than Burj Dubai, he said that such an outcome would not bother him. “This is not a race or competition. What’s important is that Dubai has provided a platform for humanity to push the boundaries of what can be achieved.”

Burj Dubai will be the tallest structure in the world in all four of the criteria listed by CTBUH on completion. The council measures height to the structural top, the highest occupied floor, to the top of the roof, and to the tip of the spire, pinnacle, antenna, mast or flag pole.

Burj Dubai set to influence generations of architects

Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building, will influence and inspire future generations of architects and engineers, said Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties.

Speaking on the second day of the 8th World Congress of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), Alabbar said that Emaar's landmark tower epitomizes the can-do spirit that has led to Dubai's emergence as a thriving global city.

Participating in a panel discussion on the 'Vision for the World's Tallest,' Alabbar insisted that Burj Dubai is not just about building the tallest tower in the world but an expression of the vision that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has for Dubai and its rightful place in the global scene.

Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties said:


'When Burj Dubai was first planned, it was to be a 90-storey structure, but Sheikh Mohammed asked us, 'Why stop there?'' Alabbar said. 'As Dubai and its economy expand, as our achievements grow, we must constantly ask ourselves: 'Why stop there?' Sheikh Mohammed has inspired us to dare, to dream and to achieve what would once have been considered impossible. With Dubai playing a leading role, Alabbar said, the Middle East has the potential to reclaim its age-old role as a global source of scientific and engineering innovation, a fact underscored by the vastly sophisticated building rising from Dubai's desert sands. In every aspect of Burj Dubai, there is a new set of learning. No one has ever tried to construct a building like this. This learning will be vital for the next generation of enterprising individuals.'



And while Alabbar said he had little doubt that someone would eventually build a tower higher than Burj Dubai, he insisted that such an outcome would not bother him. 'This is not a race or competition,' he said. 'What's important is that Dubai has provided a platform for humanity to push the boundaries of what can be achieved.'

The panel discussion was chaired by Mark Amirault, Managing Director, Emaar International Global Design & Development Studio. Adrian Smith, the designer of Burj Dubai, spoke on 'Designing the Burj Dubai' and William Baker of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - architects of Burj Dubai - outlined the challenges of 'Engineering the World's Tallest.'

The 2008 World Congress of CTBUH, themed, 'Tall and Green: Typology for a Sustainable Urban Future,' is intended to explore the role of tall buildings in future sustainable urban development. Emaar Properties is the Platinum Sponsor of the event, which concludes on March 5 at Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Upon completion Burj Dubai will be the tallest structure in the world in all four of the criteria listed by CTBUH. The council measures height to the structural top, the highest occupied floor, to the top of the roof, and to the tip of the spire, pinnacle, antenna, mast or flag pole.