Inspired by the Spider Lily

The Burj Khalifa's design embodies the lyrical and well-proportioned structure of the Hymenocallisor SpiderLily, a regional desert flower that inspired architect Adrian Smith's vision of the iconic tower.

Hotel with a Difference

Giorgio Armani designed the entrance to Armani Hotel Dubai to give visitors the sense that they are stepping into his home. As a result, the reception has no check-in desk.

Live. Work. Play.

A truly mixed-use tower, Burj Khalifa comprises 1.85 million square feet of residential space, and 300,000 square feet of office space, in addition to the Armani Hotel Dubai and the Armani Residences. The tower also features lounges, health and wellness facilities, four pools and two observation decks.

World's Tallest Art Gallery

Burj Khalifa is home to the commissioned works of over 85 artists from around the world. The art works vary from impressionism to abstract works, but they all reveal an Arabic cultural context.

12,000 workers

More than 12,000 people worked on-site at any given time during the building of Burj Khalifa. Theirwork and flow on and off-site were orchestrated in the WAR Room (Work-Action-Resolution).

Armani Residences

The 144 Armani Residences Dubai are located on levels 9 to 16, and each apartment has bespoke finishes and made-to-measure furniture and fittings. The intention was to create 'a warm, harmonious and luxurious space combined with elegant design - each element playing a precise role in the overall effect and balance'.

At the Top Height

Height of At the Top, Burj Khalifa is equivalent to being on the tip of the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

The Most Powerful Cranes

Building the world's tallest building required ingenious measures (and machinery) to enable the log is tics chain. The construction site featured three of the world's largest cranes, with a self-jacking mechanism and a capacity to lift 25 tonnes.

Burj Khalifa in Popular Culture

Burj Khalifa featured in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible series, with a hair-raising stunt sequence by Tom Cruise. The stunt scene was later parodied in the popular animated TV series The Simpsons.

Scaling the Burj's Height

Burj Khalifa ranks #1 on all three criteria for tall buildings – height to architectural top (828metres or 2,716.5 feet); height to highest occupied floor (over 570 metres or 1,800 feet); and,height to tip (828 metres or 2,716.5 feet).

World Records

• Tallest building
• Tallest man-made structure
• Tallest free-standing structure
• Largest number of storeys
• Highest occupied floor
• Highest outdoor observation deck
• World record for vertical concrete pumping
• Tallest service elevator
• Highest aluminium and glass facade

A Six-Year Journey

It took six years, from the time excavation started to the globally televised launch of Burj Khalifa on January 4, 2010.

Water Supply

Burj Khalifa's water system supplies an average of 946,000 litres of water a day. Given the height of the tower, water storage tanks are installed in the main mechanical plant room floors, which are located every 30 floors.

100,000 Elephants

If weighed, the total amount of concrete used in the construction of Burj Khalifa would equal the approximate weight of100,000 elephants.

A Little Sparkle

Burj Khalifa's lighting perfectly complements the character of the building as a simple and elegant structure. The facade is lit by a series of stroboscopes, that can be individually programmed to chase up the tower or sparkle in a pattern or at random.

A Glittering Exterior

Approximately 26,000 individually hand-cut glass panels make up the exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa, along with reflective glazing, aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrel panels and stainless steel vertical tubular fins.

Behind the Scenes

All the equipment essential for the operation of Burj Khalifa are housed in seven double-storey-height mechanical floors. Located every 30 floors, they accommodate the electrical sub-stations, water tanks and pumps, and air-handling units.

A Strong Foundation

Burj Khalifa's superstructure is supported by a 3.7 metres thick reinforced concrete mat. It took12,500 cubic metres of high-density, low-permeability concrete to build the mat. A cathodic protection system under the mat helps to mitigate the effects of corrosive chemicals in the groundwater.

'Abras' on Burj Lake

Traditional 'abra' rides across Burj Lake give visitors to Burj Khalifa a chance to experience at traditional means of transport while also enjoying a unique view of Dubai Fountain.

Global Collaboration

The wonder of Burj Khalifa was made possible by the collaboration of more than 30 on-site contracting companies from around the world – a fact that is embodied in 'World Voices', an art installation in the lobby of The Residence.

Green Irrigation

With an eye to environmental friendliness, the gardens of Burj Khalifa are partly irrigated with water collected through the tower's Condensate Collection System, which collects condensation from the tower's air-conditioning systems as well as its surrounding humid atmosphere.

A View of Old Dubai

The viewfinders located at the periphery of Burj Khalifa's Observation Decks transport you back in time to get a glimpse of what Dubai looked like before the the city's spectacular skyline was built.

Wind Tunnel Testing

To ensure the structural safety of the building, more than 40 wind tunnel tests were conducted on Burj Khalifa, ranging from verifying Dubai's wind climate to facade pressure tests.

Naming the Iconic Tower

While it was being developed and constructed, Burj Khalifa was known as Burj Dubai. It was during the inauguration of the tower that HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum revealed its official title.

A Beautiful Facade

Burj Khalifa's facade is maintained via 18 permanently installed track and fixed telescopic,cradle-equipped units. The jib arms of each unit extend up to 36 metres. Under normal conditions, it takes three to four months to clean the entire exterior facade.

World's Fastest Double Deck Elevators

The elevators that takes visitors to the observation decks of Burj Khalifa at a speed of 10 m/s has a unique utility. It has a lower deck to transport corporate visitors and those visiting At.mosphere, the world's highest restaurant.

Up in the Clouds

On a foggy morning, when a thick layer of fog settles over the city of Dubai, the view from Burj Khalifa's Observation Decks is something to behold. It appears as though you are standing above the clouds.

Celebrating Expo 2020

To celebrate the winning of Dubai's bid to host Expo 2020, The Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, hoisted the UAE national flag from the tip of Burj Khalifa

World's Highest BASE Jump

Burj Khalifa was the site of the world's highest BASE jump when UAE National Nasser Al Neyadiandhis skydiving trainer Omar Alhegelan jumped off the tower and made a smooth landing after covering a vertical distance of 672 metres.

Anchoring the Community

Burj Khalifa serves as an anchor to the Downtown Dubai community. A multicultural area, Downtown Dubai brings the best of the Arab and Western worlds together, offering something for everyone.

A Key Point

There are approximately 4,500 'back-of-house' keys that make up Burj Khalifa's mater-key system, allow security to manage access across the tower.

A Flash of Light(ning)

Rising to more than 800 metres, Burj Khalifa regularly harnesses the forces of nature to stage alightning show, making it one of the most conspicuous lightning conductors in the world.

A Beacon of Light

To prevent aircraft collisions, Burj Khalifa is equipped with high-intensity xenon white obstruction lights that flash 40 times per minute. The flash intensity of the lights changes through the day:

Global Icon

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) bestowed the 'Global Icon' award on Burj Khalifa in 2010. It is intended that the award will only be conferred on an occasional basis, whenmerited by an exceptional project – perhaps every 10 or 15 years.

Curtain Call

Burj Khalifa's curtain wall is the equivalent of 17 soccer fields or 25 American football fields.

A Story of Concrete

The highest reinforced concrete core walls in Burj Khalifa were pumped at 80 MPa to a height of 601metres in November 2007.

Degrees of Difference

The ambient temperature at the tip of Burj Khalifa is six degrees cooler than the temperature at ground level.

New Year's Eve Gala

Every year Burj Khalifa hosts a New Year's Eve Gala in Downtown Dubai. The event is one of Dubai's most anticipated with light and fireworks shows. The night sees more than 1 million people in attendance and is telecast live to over 2 billion people around the world.

Tower of Steel

The total weight of aluminium used in the building of Burj Khalifa is equivalent to that of five A380 aircraft and the total length of stainless steel bullnose fins is 293 times the height of theEiffel Tower.

Cool as Ice

During peak cooling hours, Burj Khalifa requires about 10,000 tons of cooling, equivalent to the cooling capacity of approximately 10,000 tons of melting ice.

Elevators & Escalators

Burj Khalifa has a total of 57 elevators and eight escalators. Among them are the world's tallest service elevator, which has a capacity of 5.500 kg and the Observatory elevators, which are double deck cabs that travel at 10 m/s.

Records in BASE Jumping

Skydive Dubai-sponsored Soul Flyers World Champions Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet took the first leap off Burj Khalifa in April 2014, claiming the new Guinness World Record title of the'Highest BASE Jump from the Tallest Building'.

Lingua Franca

Of the many challenges faced by Burj Khalifa's construction team, achieving perfect communication and harmony across the multi-lingual and multicultural task force was one of the most difficult.

Quantity of Concrete

If you were to take all the concrete used in Burj Khalifa and lay a side walk, it would be 2,065 kilometres (1,283 miles) long.

Burj Khalifa / Eiffel Tower

Height of the tower from Level 124 to the spire more than the height of Eiffel Tower.

Casting Call

A jump form system was used to cast Burj Khalifa's concrete structure. At peak efficiency, it was able to cast a storey every three days.

Stepping Stones

At least 45 different types of stone were used in construction of Burj Khalifa.

Burj Khalifa's Motif

The illustration below shows how pattern of the tower is built upon the repetition of a single basic geometrical motif that is reminiscent of Islamic art and architecture.

Flying High

Flight paths in and out of Dubai have had to be changed at various height milestones since construction commenced on Burj Khalifa. Flights coming into DXB have to change the Pingo holding pattern altitude since Burj Khalifa reached 790 m in height.

Dedicated Concrete Plant

Downtown Dubai was being constructed in tandem with Burj Khalifa, making the scale of work so large that a dedicated concrete plant was installed on-site to ensure adequate supply of concrete at every stage.

Inaugurating the Burj Khalifa

On 4 January 2010 the eyes of the world turned to Burj Khalifa as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai inaugurated the world's tallest tower. A spectacular light and sound show followed and was broadcast around the world.

Stay with Armani

Armani Hotel Dubai and Armani Residences Dubai were designed and developed by Giorgio Armani himself, offering a unique and bespoke service, embodying the 'Stay with Armani' philosophy.

Designing At.mosphere

The interiors of At.mosphere were designed by New York-based Adam Tihany. The restaurant's three distinct parts occupy the entire floor, providing panoramic views of Dubai and the desert and sea beyond.

Drawing Burj Khalifa

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill created close to 4,000 drawings when designing Burj Khalifa; when the building was on site, close to 10 times more drawings were produced.

Six-sided Core

Burj Khalifa is built around a hexagonal core that rises up through the building and houses most of the tower's 57 elevators, the tallest of which travels to 504 meters, setting a world record.

Cooling Heights

During the hot summer months or in the cool winters, the temperature at the top of Burj Khalifa is six degrees cooler than at ground level.

3-Day Milestones

After a year spent completing groundwork, the first 100 levels of Burj Khalifa were completed in 1,093 days. That's one storey every three days!

A 'Mashrabiya' At The Top

The ceiling of the 125th floor of Burj Khalifa features a sprawling 'mashrabiya' – intricately carved latticework – across it as a tribute to Arabian arts and culture.

Google at Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa's public spaces can be seen clearly on Google Street View. Google used the Trekker, a 40-pound, backpack-sized camera to capture views from the tower's upper floors and parts of the interior.

Habitable Storeys

Burj Khalifa holds the world record for the highest habitable floor at 160 storeys.

Strong Foundations

Burj Khalifa's foundation is made up of 125 piles that are 1.5 metres in diameter and 50 meters in length, comprising 45,000 cubic metres of concrete, reinforced with steel.

Security Measures

Burj Khalifa is the first megatall building that has elevators that are programmed for controlled evacuation in case of fire or security events.

Mixed-Utility Tower

Burj Khalifa, which features a total built-up area of 5.67 million sq ft, is the world's first truly mixed utility tower.

Opening Doors

There are more than 17,000 doors in Burj Khalifa.

Dine in the Sky

Situated on the 122 nd floor of Burj Khalifa, At.mosphere is the world,s highest lounge bar, offeringa unique epicurean experience with a side order of stunning views of the Arabian Gulf and Dubai,s sky line.

Three Petal Motif

The three petal motif used across the interiors of Burj Khalifa reflects the tower's three-petal footprint.

Elevator Soundtracks

The elevator ride taking visitors from the ground floor up to the Observation Decks feature special sound tracks developed specifically for Burj Khalifa. The rhythm and beats build up to a crescendo as the elevators ascend to their destinations.

A Great Distance

The At the Top, Burj Khalifa observation decks are popular tourist attractions. By the end of 2014,the distance travelled by the observation deck elevators was equivalent to circumnavigating the globe 8 times.

Fine Dining

Armani Hotel Dubai's six exclusive fine dining restaurants feature delectable cuisines from around the world.

Height Of Surprise

Burj Khalifa's final height of 828 metres was only revealed to the world when the tower was launched on 4 January 2010, with a spectacular celebration featuring light shows and fireworks.

Tracking The Wind

The doors in Burj Khalifa have been built with a unique and smart wind tracking device that indicates whether or not wind conditions are safe to open them.

A World Tribute

Burj Khalifa is a symbol of the aesthetic union of may cultures around the world. According to Emaar's chairman Mr. Mohamed Alabbar, it is the Arab world's tribute to the art and science of modern engineering.

LEG Laurels

Burj Khalifa joined a prestigious line up of buildings when it joined the LEGO Architecture collection in the year 2011. Burj Khalifa's LEGO model is designed by renowned architect Adam Reed Tucker.

Partnering With Dubai Cares

In 2013, Burj Khalifa joined hands with Dubai Cares to raise funds. The project commissioned prominent UAE based artists to paint miniature models of Burj Khalifa, which were then auctioned byChristie's.

Art4Sight

In 2012, Burj Khalifa joined forces with Noor Dubai Foundation on 'Art4Sight' during which EsrefArmagan, a blind Turkish painter, sketched Burj Khalifa just by feeling a miniature model of the tower with his fingers.

Confusing the Wind

Burj Khalifa's Y-shaped plan allowed for the building to be rotated 120 degrees and for each tier of the building to have a different width. The stepping of each tier helped to reduce the wind force on the tower.

A Bolt of Steel

The souvenir shop located at At The Top, Burj Khalifa carries the steel bolts that were used in the construction of Burj Khalifa for sale.

A Level Above Breathtaking

The Observation Deck on Level 148 of Burj Khalifa is the highest in the world at 555 meters.

Raise the Sun

Burj Khalifa is so tall that you can see the sunset twice in the same evening first from a low floor and then again from At The Top, Burj Khalifa.

Pushing Boundaries

When Burj Khalifa was first conceived, it was a 90 storey tower. It was His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum who inspired Emaar to push boundaries and create a truly iconic tower.

Planning With Foresight

Burj Khalifa's three primary entrances Armani Hotel, Residence and Corporate Suites were designed to be on different levels to ensure smooth-flowing traffic at all times.

Bird's Eye View

'Dubai – A Falcon's Eye View' is located on Level 125 and is part of At The Top Burj Khalifa. It gives visitors a unique perspective of Dubai.

Parking Spaces

For the convenience of guests and those who work in the tower, Burj Khalifa has 3,000 under ground parking bays.