Burj Khalifa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Burj Khalifa
برج خليفة
Viewed across the Dubai Fountain
Record height
Tallest in the world since 2009
Preceded by	Taipei 101
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Mixed-use
Architectural style	Neo-futurism
Location	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Address	1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard
Country	United Arab Emirates
Named for	Sheikh Khalifa
Construction started	6 January 2004; 21 years ago (2004-01-06)
Topped-out	17 January 2009; 16 years ago (2009-01-17)
Completed	1 October 2009; 15 years ago (2009-10-01)
Opened	4 January 2010; 15 years ago (2010-01-04)
Cost	US$1.5 billion
Owner	Emaar Properties
Height
Architectural	828 m (2,717 ft)
Tip	829.8 m (2,722 ft)
Antenna spire	242.5 m (796 ft)
Roof	739.4 m (2,426 ft)
Top floor	585.4 m (1,921 ft)
Observatory	555.7 m (1,823 ft)
Technical details
Structural system	Reinforced concrete, steel, and aluminium
Floor count	154 + 9 maintenance
Floor area	309,473 m2 (3,331,100 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators	57 (mall included)
Design and construction
Architect	Adrian Smith
Architecture firm	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Structural engineer	Bill Baker
Main contractor	Samsung C&T BESIX Arabtec
Other information
Parking	2 subterranean levels

The Burj Khalifa (which means "Khalifa Tower" in Arabic) is a super tall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest building ever built by humans, standing at an amazing 828 metres (2,717 feet) (about 2,717 feet) high! Before it opened, it was known as Burj Dubai.

This incredible building has 162 floors. Its construction started in 2004, and it officially opened on January 4, 2010. The Burj Khalifa is much taller than Taipei 101, which was the world's tallest building before 2010.

Adrian Smith designed the tower. He worked with a company called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The building was constructed by Samsung Engineering & Construction, Besix, and Arabtec. It cost about US$1.5 billion to build. The Burj Khalifa is part of a large building project in Downtown Burj Khalifa, near Dubai's main business area.

Building the Tallest Tower

Burj Khalifa compared to some other tall structures.

The main company that built the Burj Khalifa was Samsung C&T from South Korea. This company also helped build other famous tall buildings like the Taipei 101 and the Petronas Twin Towers. Other companies, including the Belgian group Besix and Arabtec from the UAE, also worked on the project.

The architect, Adrian Smith, made some changes to the building's design. He added 27 new floors and a shiny aluminium spire to the very top. The design of the Burj Khalifa was inspired by Islamic architecture. Later, a TV and radio communications mast was added to the plans in 2007, even after building work had started.

For safety, special refuge floors were put into the tower about every 35 floors. These floors are air-conditioned and pressurized. They provide a safe place for people in case of an emergency or fire.

Many television documentaries have shown the amazing design and engineering challenges of building the Burj Khalifa. You might have seen it on shows like Big, Bigger, Biggest or Mega Builders.

Strong Materials for a Super Tall Building

The most important material used to build the Burj Khalifa is reinforced concrete. A very special type of concrete was needed. This was because the building is so heavy, and the local climate in the Persian Gulf can get very hot, up to 50 °C (122 °F) (122°F). Any big cracks in the concrete could have caused serious damage.

The building's foundation is 15 metres (49 feet) (about 49 feet) deep. It was made by putting 192 large columns into the ground. Each column was 1.5 metres (4 feet 11 inches) (about 5 feet) wide and 43 metres (141 feet) (about 141 feet) long. A huge amount of steel rebar (55,000 tonnes (121,000,000 pounds)) was used to make the tower strong. It took 22 million hours of work to build the tower.

The Dubai Fountain Show

The Dubai Fountain performing to the song "Bassbor Al Fourgakom"

Outside the Burj Khalifa, there is a beautiful fountain system. It was designed by the same company that created the famous fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. This amazing fountain cost about 800 million UAE Dirhams.

The fountain is lit up by 6,600 lights and 50 colored projectors. It is 84 metres (275 feet) long and can shoot water 46 metres (150 feet) (about 492 feet) into the air! The water dances to the sounds of classical and modern Arabic and world music. On October 26, 2008, this amazing water show was officially named the Dubai Fountain.

Building Milestones

Burj Khalifa and skyline of Dubai, 2010

The construction of Burj Khalifa reached many important points:

• January 2004: Digging for the foundation began.
• February 2004: The first piles were put into the ground.
• September 21, 2004: Construction officially started.
• March 2005: The building's structure began to rise.
• June 2006: The 50th floor was reached.
• February 2007: It became the building with the most floors, passing the Sears Tower.
• May 13, 2007: It set a record for pumping concrete to the highest point in a building (452 m (1,483 ft)).
• July 21, 2007: It passed Taipei 101 to become the world's tallest building, reaching the 141st floor.
• August 12, 2007: It surpassed the Sears Tower antenna.
• September 12, 2007: At 555.3 m (1,822 ft), it became the world's tallest freestanding structure, passing the CN Tower. The 150th floor was reached.
• April 7, 2008: At 629 m (2,064 ft), it passed the KVLY-TV mast to become the tallest human-made structure. The 160th floor was reached.
• September 1, 2008: Its height topped 688 m (2,257 ft), making it the tallest human-made structure ever built.
• January 17, 2009: The building reached its full height (called "topped out") at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).
• October 1, 2009: The outside of the building was finished.
• January 4, 2010: The official opening ceremony was held. Burj Dubai was renamed Burj Khalifa to honor Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the President of the UAE.
• March 10, 2010: The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat officially confirmed Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building.

World Records Set

The Burj Khalifa holds many world records, including:

• Tallest existing structure: 829.8 m (2,722 ft)
• Tallest structure ever built: 829.8 m (2,722 ft)
• Tallest freestanding structure: 829.8 m (2,722 ft)
• Tallest skyscraper (to top of spire): 828 m (2,717 ft)
• Building with the most floors: 163 floors
• World's highest elevator installation
• World's longest travel distance elevators: 504 m (1,654 ft)
• Highest vertical concrete pumping for a building: 606 m (1,988 ft)
• World's tallest structure that includes homes
• World's highest restaurant (At.mosphere): On the 122nd floor at 442 m (1,450 ft)
• World's highest New Year fireworks display
• World's largest light and sound show on a single building

Awards and Recognition

The Burj Khalifa has won many awards for its amazing design and construction.

• In June 2010, it won the "Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa" award.
• On September 28, 2010, it won the award for the best project of the year at the Middle East Architect Awards 2010.

One of the judges, Gordon Gill, said that the Burj Khalifa "changed what is possible in architecture." He also said it became famous around the world even before it was finished. He thought "Building of the Century" would be a better name for it!

The Burj Khalifa also received many other awards, including:

Gallery

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  Construction work during February 2006

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  29 August 2006

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  11 November 2006

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  2 January 2007

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  3 January 2007

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  21 March 2007

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  4 December 2007

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  Construction work during 11 March 2008

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  8 May 2008

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  The spire is added along with the TV/radio mast

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  4 January 2010, skyline of Dubai with Burj Khalifa in the background

Images for kids

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  Burj Khalifa compared with some other well-known tall structures

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  Cross-section comparisons of various towers, from ground level to top: Burj Khalifa, Taipei 101, Willis Tower, and World Trade Center

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  The spiral minaret at the Great Mosque of Samarra

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  The Dubai Fountain

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  View of The Dubai Fountain from the observation deck

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  View from the observation deck

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  Aerial closeup of Burj Khalifa under construction in March 2008

See also

In Spanish: Burj Khalifa para niños