DUBAI | Burj Khalifa | 828 M / 2,716.5 FT - Pinnacle | 162 FLOORS | 2010

[M II A II R II K]

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[ocman]

This is one of those rare buildings that actual looks like it's rendering. It just looks like a cgi creation.

[WonderlandPark]

Love the photos Sebastian, sorry I missed this event by a couple of measly weeks. Glad to see your excellent shots here. the panorama is amazing.

[Chicago103]

First of all thank you IMRE for those INCREDIBLE pictures, especially those from the very tip top of the spire. In my head for months I was thinking "wouldnt it be cool to see what it looks like from the tip top of the spire of the Burj Dubai?!" but I thought I would never find it, you cant even find pictures taken from the top of the Sears (Willis) Tower's highest antenna.

In terms of the opening ceremonies and news coverage it has been quite impressive, certainly the most talked about new WTB since the Petronas Towers, arguably even eclipsing that (and that was only because it was the first to surpass the Sears Tower and arguably at that). The Taipei101 by contrast got relatively little media attention in comparison from what I recall.

The big surprise of course was the name change to the Burj Kalifha, the local Chicago media comparted it to the Sears Tower being renamed the Willis Tower. I almost wonder if they got the idea to change the name of the building on that.

On a side note while I love the design that is very reminiscint of the unbuilt mile-high "Illinois" skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956 there are a few things that bug me about it. It boasts breaking so many records and yet I can name a number of records that they could have garnished where they come short.

One is that the observation deck wont be the highest in the world, the Shanghai World Financial Center still will, in fact some stats I have read states that it will even be a few feet lower than the skypod of the CN Tower in Toronto. Thats kind of a bummer if someone like me travels half way across the world and I cant even say that I went higher than I can go on my own continent. Sure it will be higher than the Willis (Sears) Tower observation deck but thats an old standard now.

Second building on that its kind of awkward to have a 2,717 foot building where the top 1,250+ feet is totally inaccessible to the general public. Unless you know someone like IMRE you wont be able to see the most incredible views.

Third, there is a hotel but it is on THE LOWEST FLOORS of the building above the lobby, not even the highest hotel in Dubai by far. Again a bummer to travel halfway around the world to stay in the Burj and tell someone that I stayed on the 40th if I am lucky not because thats what I got but thats the highest hotel rooms there are.

Fourth, offices on the HIGHEST floors?! Thats the total opposite of most multi-use super tall buildings particularly in Chicago where a building like the John Hancock Center has offices on the lower floors. It almost seems undemocratic, you either have to be a rich oil sheik with an office or a lucky maintenence worker to get up there.

Fifth, while the highest residential floors will be the highest residences in the world for the time being (beating the 40 year record held by Chicago's John Hancock Center or maybe the Trump Tower if the very top residences are already occupied) the residences could have easily been much higher and put where the office floors are instead. From what I can guess if the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower was residential it would be higher than the highest residences in the Burj. If the Chicago Spire ever gets built it will blow the world's highest residences out of the Burj's water.

I am sorry to go on a tangent about this but it just REALLY bugs me when I read these details of the interior of the Burj. If anyone has any insight as to why these things are the way they are please share.

[GO_UAE]

MARK , Dubaiflo over at SSC just posted some extraordinary pictures aswell ! get them here

[R@ptor]

Originally Posted by Chicago103

One is that the observation deck wont be the highest in the world, the Shanghai World Financial Center still will, in fact some stats I have read states that it will even be a few feet lower than the skypod of the CN Tower in Toronto. Thats kind of a bummer if someone like me travels half way across the world and I cant even say that I went higher than I can go on my own continent. Sure it will be higher than the Willis (Sears) Tower observation deck but thats an old standard now.

I guess it's pretty obvious why they put it that 'low'. Like all other famous buildings its observation deck will attract thousands of visitors each day and in order to accomodate that many people you need an observation deck with a certain floor size. And while f.e. the Taipei 101 or the Sears Tower still have huge floors even at the top, the upper third or even upper 40% of the Burj Dubai are just too small for an observation deck.

But maybe they will open a smaller additional observation deck further up which you can only access if you buy a special ticket that costs extra money.

[M II A II R II K]

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Originally Posted by dubaiflo @ SSC

[M II A II R II K]

• Video Link

[raph93]

First, thanks to Imre Solt for all those pics & vidz day after day from the basement to the top of Burj Dubai

Btw, does anyone have any figures about tower occupation ?

[M II A II R II K]

Originally Posted by R@ptor

I guess it's pretty obvious why they put it that 'low'. Like all other famous buildings its observation deck will attract thousands of visitors each day and in order to accomodate that many people you need an observation deck with a certain floor size. And while f.e. the Taipei 101 or the Sears Tower still have huge floors even at the top, the upper third or even upper 40% of the Burj Dubai are just too small for an observation deck.

But maybe they will open a smaller additional observation deck further up which you can only access if you buy a special ticket that costs extra money.

What if they had a higher observation deck that spanned many floors to accommodate more people though

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by raph93

First, thanks to Imre Solt for all those pics & vidz day after day from the basement to the top of Burj Dubai

Btw, does anyone have any figures about tower occupation ?

I heard 90%. But that's probably straight from the developer.

[Imre]

Originally Posted by raph93

First, thanks to Imre Solt for all those pics & vidz day after day from the basement to the top of Burj Dubai

welcome





Album link:

http://picasaweb.google.hu/imresolt/...1December2009#

[Infernal_Elf]

thanks for all the amazing photos

just cant w8 to see the Burj khalifa whit my own eyes in late february-march will be soo cool

it really turned out to be very nice indeed looks very starwars in the night whit allt he lights lighting up the smoke and skies.

and the lights at the top are amazing.

[JManc]

yes, imre, i enjoyed your photos documenting the construction.

[JManc]

to get an idea just how tall this thing is, the white curved top building on lower left is over 300m/ 1000' tall!


photo is by SSP forumer Imre

[Imre]

My last Burj Dubai and first Burj Khalifa photos

Burj Dubai ( 04/January/2010 , 20:40 UAE time in my Canon camera )



Burj Khalifa (04/January/2010 , 20:41 UAE time in my Canon camera )

[Chicago103]

Perhaps there will be public access higher in the building because I read from several sources that there will be a mosque on the 158th floor. My internet access is slow right now so pardon me for not posting a link but it can be easily googled. I wonder if this will be a worship space that will be open to the general public or is it only for building tenants. If it is open to the public and I get to go to Dubai someday I will go up there and visit a mosque for the first time.

[Mocholate]

The lack of nature in this city makes me feel upset but wow great light show 'n stuff.

Hats off to those who have documented this construction.

[LoverOfDubai]

Originally Posted by Chicago103

Perhaps there will be public access higher in the building because I read from several sources that there will be a mosque on the 158th floor. My internet access is slow right now so pardon me for not posting a link but it can be easily googled. I wonder if this will be a worship space that will be open to the general public or is it only for building tenants. If it is open to the public and I get to go to Dubai someday I will go up there and visit a mosque for the first time.

In the United Arab Emirates, only Muslims are legally allowed to enter mosques. The only exception is the Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai and the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

[Duffstuff129]

Originally Posted by Mocholate

The lack of nature in this city makes me feel upset but wow great light show 'n stuff.

Hats off to those who have documented this construction.

Lack of nature? This city is not only surrounded by extremely "natural" desert, but is home to extensive watered (if wastful) parks with a plethora of both native and non-native trees. Dubai has a weird juxtaposition between small amounts of high density developed areas, tons of desert, and a good amount of oasis-like park areas.

But about the building... I love the design, but the lack of landmarks and recognizable buildings around it make the scale hard to understand in person and impossible to understand in photos.

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

What if they had a higher observation deck that spanned many floors to accommodate more people though

The problem most likely that there just aren't enough elevators that go that high. A generous estimate puts about 4-5 elevators on the top floors, which simply isn't enough for the large amount of traffic that would be moving up and down.