For years, Dubai boasted that whatever bling project it embarked upon, from carving its coastline into palm-tree-shaped resorts to building vast ski domes in the sand, it would be the “number one in the world”. After the credit crunch, however, it looked like the only record the Gulf city state would claim is the biggest boom and bust.Today, though, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al- Maktoum, the emirate’s ruler, celebrated at least one global milestone he can be proud of when he opened the tallest building on the planet.
The over-$1 billion Burj Dubai is at least 2,683ft from its base to the tip of its spire — that’s more than half a mile, the equivalent of three-and-a-half Canary Wharf towers or two Empire State buildings stacked up. Its final height is being kept secret until tomorrow, but architects who have worked on the building have hinted it could break the 2,700ft mark.
The tower is more than 1,000ft higher than its nearest inhabited rival, Taiwan’s 1,671ft Taipei 101.
The steel-ribbed, glass-clad structure looks like a giant hypodermic needle piercing the desert sky. As the 169-floor building rises, it passes through several climatic zones. The temperature at the top is up to 50 degrees cooler than at the bottom.
It has the highest swimming pool in the world, on the 76th floor, and the most elevated place of worship with plans for a mosque on the 158th floor.
The Burj Dubai — “burj” means tower in Arabic — is the culmination of Sheikh Mohammed’s vaulting ambition for the emirate. It is the first time the Arab world has claimed the title of the world’s tallest building since 1311, when Lincoln Cathedral exceeded the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
However, after the economic downturn ripped through Dubai — sending property prices plunging 50% and forcing Sheikh Mohammed to go cap in hand to his wealthy neighbour, Abu Dhabi, for a $25 billion bailout — critics are already dismissing the tower as a gaudy memorial to a lost decade of uncontrolled speculation. “It’s the last blast of the Noughties in a city that got too big for its dishdasha [robes],” said one local banker.
The Burj is so tall that architects are calling it not just a skyscraper but a “superscraper”. It is mostly residential. There are 900 studios and one- to four-bedroom flats and 144 apartments, designed by Giorgio Armani. The tower also houses the Italian designer’s first hotel, which means fashionistas can live in a branded home and go on holiday in chic surroundings without leaving the building.
Human rights groups and workers’ organisations say the tower has been built using “slave labour”. Construction workers, mainly from India and Pakistan, toiled round the clock for as little as $5 a day.
Environmentalists have criticised the building’s power consumption. Its air-conditioning system is the equivalent of melting 12,500 tons of ice a day, and it will consume millions of gallons of desalinated water — in a city that already has the world’s highest per capita carbon footprint.
The Chicago-based architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, deny the claim. “Tall buildings are inherently energy- efficient because they are high-density,” said Bill Baker, chief structural engineer. He described the Burj as an affirmation of the power and importance of tall buildings following the 9/11 attacks that brought down the World Trade Center in New York. “It’s a symbol of optimism. It says, ‘We believe in the future’.”
The over-$1 billion Burj Dubai is at least 2,683ft from its base to the tip of its spire — that’s more than half a mile, the equivalent of three-and-a-half Canary Wharf towers or two Empire State buildings stacked up. Its final height is being kept secret until tomorrow, but architects who have worked on the building have hinted it could break the 2,700ft mark.
The tower is more than 1,000ft higher than its nearest inhabited rival, Taiwan’s 1,671ft Taipei 101.
The steel-ribbed, glass-clad structure looks like a giant hypodermic needle piercing the desert sky. As the 169-floor building rises, it passes through several climatic zones. The temperature at the top is up to 50 degrees cooler than at the bottom.
It has the highest swimming pool in the world, on the 76th floor, and the most elevated place of worship with plans for a mosque on the 158th floor.
The Burj Dubai — “burj” means tower in Arabic — is the culmination of Sheikh Mohammed’s vaulting ambition for the emirate. It is the first time the Arab world has claimed the title of the world’s tallest building since 1311, when Lincoln Cathedral exceeded the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
However, after the economic downturn ripped through Dubai — sending property prices plunging 50% and forcing Sheikh Mohammed to go cap in hand to his wealthy neighbour, Abu Dhabi, for a $25 billion bailout — critics are already dismissing the tower as a gaudy memorial to a lost decade of uncontrolled speculation. “It’s the last blast of the Noughties in a city that got too big for its dishdasha [robes],” said one local banker.
The Burj is so tall that architects are calling it not just a skyscraper but a “superscraper”. It is mostly residential. There are 900 studios and one- to four-bedroom flats and 144 apartments, designed by Giorgio Armani. The tower also houses the Italian designer’s first hotel, which means fashionistas can live in a branded home and go on holiday in chic surroundings without leaving the building.
Human rights groups and workers’ organisations say the tower has been built using “slave labour”. Construction workers, mainly from India and Pakistan, toiled round the clock for as little as $5 a day.
Environmentalists have criticised the building’s power consumption. Its air-conditioning system is the equivalent of melting 12,500 tons of ice a day, and it will consume millions of gallons of desalinated water — in a city that already has the world’s highest per capita carbon footprint.
The Chicago-based architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, deny the claim. “Tall buildings are inherently energy- efficient because they are high-density,” said Bill Baker, chief structural engineer. He described the Burj as an affirmation of the power and importance of tall buildings following the 9/11 attacks that brought down the World Trade Center in New York. “It’s a symbol of optimism. It says, ‘We believe in the future’.”
No comments:
Post a Comment