Hotel Talk

Burj Tower now tallest structure in Middle East, Europe

ETW Staff - Mumbai

Under development since the past three years to reach an unspecified height, Dubai's 'Burj Dubai' Tower is now the tallest structure in the Middle East and Europe and at 110 levels it shares the honour of having the largest number of floors, alongside Sears Tower in Chicago. The 380-metre high tower is also the world's ninth tallest building. Burj Dubai is only one metre shorter than the Empire State Building - the second tallest in the US and is on its course to become the world's tallest building.

It is the centerpiece of the US$ 20-billion Downtown Burj Dubai, a mixed-use project in the heart of Dubai featuring residences, commercial space, hospitality projects and several retail outlets including The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping and entertainment destination. To date, 2,67,426 cubic metres of reinforced concrete and 49,684 tonnes of reinforcing steel have been used in the construction of Burj Dubai. Over 3,000 workers are currently employed at the Burj Dubai site.

Burj Dubai will be a stellar achievement in engineering; the curtain wall of Burj Dubai will be equivalent to 17 football fields; the concrete used will be equivalent to a sidewalk 1,900 km long and the tower's peak electricity demand will be roughly the same as 3,60,000 light bulbs of 100 watts operating at the same time.

When completed, Burj Dubai will be the tallest building in the world in all four categories recognised by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which compiles and ranks the world's tallest buildings. CTBUH ranks buildings on the basis of spire height, the highest occupied floor, roof height and pinnacle height. Burj Dubai will also mark the advent of a new lifestyle choice for Dubai residents and visitors. It will comprise 1,000 residences, commercial spaces, leisure facilities and The Armani Hotel.