Burj Dubai April 11th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai April 11th 2008 photo update, with over 160 storeys now, the most number of liveable floors in any building in the world, Burj Dubai is already pushing the frontiers in architecture, construction and engineering excellence.

Mile-high tower: Saudi prince promises £5bn desert spire TWICE as tall as nearest rival being built

On a clear day, the view from the top will take in the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Ocean - providing you've a head for heights. Plans for a mile-high tower in the Saudi Arabian desert have been unveiled by the billionaire owner of London's Savoy Hotel.

At 5,250ft, the £5billion project, masterminded by two British engineering consultancies, will be twice as high as its nearest rivals, skyscrapers under construction in Dubai and Kuwait, and almost seven times as high as the Canary Wharf tower in London's Docklands.

It is being planned for a new city near the Red Sea port of Jeddah. Behind the scheme is 51-year-old Prince al-Walid bin Talal, who bought the Savoy for £1.25billion in 2005. The plan gives the Middle East a clear lead over Asian countries and the U.S., who have vied in the past to construct the world's tallest buildings.

None of the other skyscrapers under construction, including New York's Freedom Tower on the World Trade Centre site, will exceed 2,296ft. The prince's company, Riyadh-based Kingdom Holdings, has set up a joint venture with the London firms Hyder Consulting and Arup.

Experts say the technical challenges are enormous. Much of the lifting will be carried out by helicopters, which will also be used as commuter transport for builders. The tower will have to be capable of withstanding a wide range of temperatures, with its top baking in the desert sun by day but dropping to well below freezing at night.

To resist the strong winds prevalent in the area and stop it swaying, giving its occupants a form of high-rise seasickness, it will be fitted with a giant computer-operated damper. Two "mini-towers" - both taller than Canary Wharf - will be built on either side of the main tower. Linked to it by elevated walkways, they will anchor it and act as stabilisers.

Until recently, the still-under-construction Dubai Tower was expected to be the world's tallest building. Plans have changed several times to make it higher, but the final version is expected to be 2,300ft with 160 storeys.

Detail diagram of Burj Dubai April 9th 2008

Detail diagram of Burj Dubai April 9th 2008, facade, and underground details were added to this diagram. The Burj Dubai is currently at level 160 if your counting floors.

Burj Dubai April 9th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai April 9th 2008 photo update, Steelwork in place for the 8th level of steel to start. If you look at the last photo it looks as if the Burj Dubai tower is bending a little.

Burj Dubai surpasses KVLY-TV mast to become the world’s tallest man-made structure

Dubai, UAE; April 7, 2008: Burj Dubai, the iconic high-rise developed by Dubai-based Emaar Properties PJSC, has surpassed the height of the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA, to become the world’s tallest man-made structure. Burj Dubai is now 629 metres (2,063.6 ft) high while KVLY-TV, which holds the record for the world’s tallest supported structure since 1963, has a height of 628.8 metres (2,063 ft).

Burj Dubai is already the world’s tallest building and tallest free-standing structure, and at 160 storeys, is taller than Taipei 101 (508 metres; 1667 ft) in Taiwan and CN Tower (553.33 metres; 1815.5 ft) in Toronto, Canada. Burj Dubai is billed to meet all four criteria listed by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which classifies the world’s tallest structures. CTBUH measures the height of buildings to the structural top, the highest occupied floor, the top of the roof and the tip of the spire, pinnacle, antenna, mast or flag pole.

The KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, is a television transmitting mast, which was completed in 1963. Burj Dubai also towers over KXJB-TV, which at 628 metres (2,060 ft) was the second tallest artificial structure in the world, and the KXTV/KOVR Tower, a guyed communication tower in Walnut Grove, California, that rises to 624.5 metres (2,049 ft).

Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties, said: “Emaar’s Burj Dubai has accomplished another milestone in its development, placing the city of Dubai and Burj Dubai once again in the global spotlight. With over 160 storeys now, the most number of liveable floors in any building in the world, Burj Dubai is already pushing the frontiers in architecture, construction and engineering excellence.”

He added: “The significance of Burj Dubai surpassing the height of the KVLY-TV mast is that it demonstrates the pioneering achievement of mankind in creating urban environments that defy conventions. With over 5,000 professionals and skilled workers from around the world working on site, Burj Dubai’s new feat is another celebration of teamwork.”

When completed, Burj Dubai will have used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tons of steel rebar and 142,000 sq m of glass.

Emaar is partnering with South Korean construction major Samsung Corporation and New York-based Project Manager Turner Construction in constructing Burj Dubai, which was designed by Adrian Smith and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago.

Burj Dubai, the centerpiece of Emaar’s flagship mega-project, the AED 73 billion (US$20 billion) Downtown Burj Dubai, will feature residences, commercial space and retail space and hospitality elements including the world’s first Armani Hotel and Armani Residences.

Downtown Burj Dubai is regarded as the new centre of Dubai and already has a thriving community of residents. Homes have been handed over to the owners in The Residences and The Old Town. Three hospitality projects – Al Manzil, Qamardeen and The Palace, The Old Town – have opened apart from Souk Al Bahar, a shopping mall inspired by Arabesque architectural elements. The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destinations, is in close proximity to Burj Dubai and will open later this year.