Burj Dubai to be taller than originally planned

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based real estate giant Emaar Properties has announced that the final height of its skyscraper Burj Dubai, set to become the world's tallest building, will be more than what was originally envisaged.

As such, the opening of the tower here has been pushed back till September 2009. The original deadline was December this year but was then pushed back to April next year. The company said in a statement that the final height of the tower, till now a closely guarded secret, would be known only at the time of its opening. According to the statement, the height enhancement work was already being executed and two additional communication floors were being added. "The enhancements on Burj Dubai are being enabled through the advances in technology as well as qualitative improvements," Emaar chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar said in the statement.

"Several aspects of Burj Dubai, especially with respect to the interiors, were decided as early as 2004. With the current enhancements we are bringing in the latest in quality considerations that will keep Burj Dubai truly exclusive," he added. Assuring that the project execution would be speedy, he said: "We believe that a completion date of September 2009 is possible and reasonable for a project of this global magnitude and significance." Along with height enhancement, the interior finishes have also been upgraded with international designers from California visiting the project site over the last three months.

Burj Dubai is already unofficially the world's tallest manmade structure at over 636 metres (2,063.6 feet) and 160 floors completed till now. In April this year, it surpassed the height of the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota in the US to become the world's tallest manmade structure. The building will be officially recognised as the world's tallest structure only when the construction is fully completed. Then the skyscraper will be the tallest building in the world in all four categories recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which ranks buildings on the basis of spire height, the highest occupied floor, roof height and pinnacle height.

Burj Dubai is the centrepiece of Emaar's flagship mega-project, the 73-billion dirham ($20 billion) downtown Burj Dubai, billed as the world's most prestigious square kilometre. The super-tall structure will have residences, commercial space and retail space and hospitality elements including the world's first Armani Hotel and Armani Residences. Around 7,500 professionals and skilled workers are currently employed at the site.

Burj Dubai to be even taller than planned

The Burj Dubai, already the world's tallest building, will be even bigger than originally planned, Emaar Properties said on Tuesday, as the developer looks to cement the tower's place in history.

Emaar said work raising the height of the mega-structure, which currently towers more than 636 metres above Dubai, was already underway. The developer also set a deadline of September 2009 for the building's completion, meaning the project will be finished nine months behind schedule. It said the final height of the Burj Dubai, which has been a closely guarded secret, would be revealed upon its completion. The Burj Dubai's final height 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.

Emaar said in addition to increasing the building's height, it was also upgrading its interior finishes. "Burj Dubai is now pushing its own record breaking standards further, with the height and design enhancements," Emaar Chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar said in a statement. News of the height enhancement and completion deadline comes a week after Alabbar revealed the project was facing up to a nine month delay and was unlikely to be finished until "August or September 2009".

The project was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

"With a project like this you have to get it absolutely right," he said at the time. In April the Burj Dubai, already the world’s tallest building and tallest free-standing structure, became the world’s tallest manmade structure, surpassed the 628.8-metre high KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, US. 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.

Burj Dubai June 16th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai June 16th 2008 photo update, here is some photos that show off the cladding on the Burj Dubai. work on the 11th steel floor is coming along nicley also. Just a couple more days and they should start on the 12th steel floor.

Work on the Burj Dubai fountain

The Burj Dubai lake trench to accommodate the new fountain height gets deeper. Plans for a massive water fountain at Downtown Burj Dubai have been unveiled by Emaar Properties. Situated in the Burj Lake, it will be capable of shooting jets of water 500 feet high, equivalent to the height of a 50-storey building.

It will be complemented by a visual effects system consisting of more than 6,000 lights and 50 colour projectors. The total cost of the lake and fountain is budgeted at AED 800 million.

Burj Dubai June 14th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai June 14th 2008 photo update, here is a huge photo update! The 11th steel floor progress is now well under way and the 12th steel floor should start in just a couple more days. Many of the towers in the Dubai skyline are well over 300 meters high and these photos show just how massive the mighty Burj Dubai is.