A groundbreaking feat of modern architecture and engineering skill, the world's tallest skyscraper Burj Khalifa (previously Burj Dubai) stands at a whopping 828 metres. It was completed in just six years and comprises the tower, observation deck, residential and commercial spaces and the first Armani Hotel, all surrounded by an 11-hectare park.
If you're a fan of those ‘Amazing Structures' TV shows, you're probably already across the mind-boggling statistics involved in making Burj Khalifa a reality. If not, here's how the skyscraper stacks up...
As well as being named the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa is also the tallest structure in the world and the world's tallest free-standing tower. The three-lobed building design is based on an abstraction of the Hymenocallis flower – a regional desert bloom.
Burj Khalifa is the focus of the new Downtown Dubai shopping and entertainment precinct, which also contains the massive Dubai Mall – the world's largest shopping centre.
The main attraction for visitors is the ‘At The Top' observation deck on level 124, which affords 360-degree views of Dubai city, surrounding desert and ocean, and the sparkling city lights at night. The ‘At The Top' Observation Deck can be accessed on the lower ground level of the Dubai Mall.
You can visit the observation deck for $AED125 for adults, $AED95 for children aged between four and 12, and free for kids under three. The other alternative is paying $AED400 for immediate entry.
The 60-minute experience at the observation deck includes multimedia presentations, a 65-metre travelator and a vertical ascent in a high-speed elevator. You can take in the view with special telescopes and stop at the souvenir shop at the top. Once you've made it to the top, you can stay as long as you like.
Also of note within Burj Khalifa is the world's first Armani Hotel, designed and developed by fashion designer Giorgio Armani. Occupying the concourse level to level 8 and levels 38 and 39, no detail has been overlooked in this opulent hotel, which bears the Armani signature style of minimalist elegance. Facilities at the hotel include the first in-hotel Armani/SPA and shopping experiences across the Armani brand.
