Burj Khalifa has a unique design that truly sets it apart from other famous towers around the world.
The world’s most esteemed architectural firms were initially invited to submit their ideas as part of a design competition. The honour of designing Burj Khalifa was eventually awarded to the global leader in creating ultra-tall structures, the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) with Adrian Smith FAIA, RIBA, consulting design partner.
Architecture
The design concept and architectural style: Burj Khalifa base features a triple-lobed footprint inspired by the regional desert flower Hymenocallis.
The basic structure of the tower is composed of three wings arranged around a central hexagon core.
Burj Khalifa employs a Y-shaped floor plan with setbacks along each of its three wings. The shape and the upward setbacks provide a stable configuration for the structure and maximise views of the Arabian Gulf.
As the building spirals in height, the wings set back and a central core emerges at the top and culminates in a sculpted spire. When viewed from the air, Burj Khalifa is evocative of the onion domes prevalent in Islamic architecture.
Wind Tunnel Testing
Due to strong winds, more than 40 wind tunnel tests were conducted on Burj Khalifa to examine the effects the wind would have on the tower. These ranged from initial tests to verify the wind climate of Dubai to large structural analysis models. Even the cranes used in the construction of the tower underwent wind tunnel tests to ensure safety.
Stack effect or chimney effect is a phenomenon that affects super-tall building design and arises from the changes in pressure and temperature with height. Special studies were carried out on Burj Khalifa to determine the magnitude of the changes that would have to be dealt with in Burj Khalifa’s design in order to ensure its resistance to high heat, wind loads, and vibration.
Floor Plan
Concourse Level to Level 8, and Level 38 and 39 feature the Armani Hotel Dubai, the world’s first hotel designed and developed by Giorgio Armani. With a truly unique interior design, Burj Khalifa’s levels 9 to 16 are home to luxurious one and two-bedroom Armani Residences.
Levels 45 to 108 are made up of private, ultra-luxury residences. The residences include studios, one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments.
The Corporate Suites are located on the highest levels of the tower and are spread over Levels 112 to 154. They occupy 37 floors, except for Level 122, home to At.mosphere and Level 124, occupied by the tower's public observatory, At the Top, Burj Khalifa.
For the convenience of homeowners, the tower has been divided into sections with exclusive Sky Lobbies on Levels 43, 76, and 123 featuring state-of-the-art fitness facilities. In addition, the Sky Lobbies on 43 and 76 feature Jacuzzis, swimming pools, and recreational rooms that can be used for gatherings and lifestyle events.
Interiors
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP worked on the interiors of Burj Khalifa’s public areas in collaboration with award-winning designer Nada Andric. All the interiors were carefully handpicked to reflect shelter, comfort, and restrained luxury.
Combining local culture and heritage with classic design, Burj Khalifa interiors feature glass, stainless steel, and polished dark stones, together with silver travertine flooring and Venetian stucco walls.
Artwork
More than 1,000 pieces of art from prominent Middle Eastern and international artists adorn Burj Khalifa and the surrounding Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard. Many of these pieces, such as Juame Plensa’s sculpture World Voices, act as a tribute to the spirit of global harmony.
Handpicked and specially commissioned are both a beautiful visual statement and a way of linking cultures and communities. The art pieces are symbolic of Burj Khalifa being an international collaboration.
Construction
Excavation work began in January 2004. Burj Khalifa’s foundations featured a large reinforced concrete mat supported by concrete piles reinforced with steel.
Burj Khalifa's construction used 330,000 cubic metres of concrete, equivalent to the weight of 100,000 elephants, and 39,000 tonnes of reinforced steel.
Burj Khalifa accomplished a world record for the highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade at a height of 512 metres. The total weight of aluminium used on Burj Khalifa is equivalent to that of five A380 aircrafts.
In November 2007, the highest reinforced concrete core walls were pumped using 80 megapascals concrete from ground level. The concrete was pumped to a record-breaking height of 601metres breaking the previous pumping record held by Taipei 101.