BURJ

 KHALIFA  
2004-­‐2010    
SOM  
DUBAI,  UAE  
DESCRIPTION  +  ARCHITECT  
•  In  2003,  the  state-­‐owned  developer,  Emaar,  
commissioned  Skidmore,  Owings  &  Merrill  LLP  (SOM)  
with  Adrian  Smith  FAIA,  RIBA,  as  designer  for  the  Burj  
Dubai  tower.    
•  Adrian  Smith  is  an  American  architect  who  had  
designed  other  towers  such  as  the  Trump  InternaQonal  
Hotel.  He  was  a  partner  at  SOM  in  Chicago.  He  now  has  
his  own  firm  specializing  in  high  performance,  energy  
efficient  buildings.  
•  This  was  to  be  Emaar’s  signature  building  for  its  
signature  development,  Dubai  Downtown.  
•  The  tower  is  described  as  ‘A  VerQcal  City’  that  defines  
the  can-­‐do  spirit  of  Dubai.  
•  It  is  similar  to    Frank  Lloyd  Wright's  1956  project  for  the  
Mile-­‐High  Illinois  in  Chicago.  Both  have  a  tree–like  
central  core,  a  stepped  silhoueae,  and  a  triangular  
plan.  Wright’s  tower  was  much  taller.  
•  Site  Area:  104,210  m2  =  1,121,707  e2  
•  Floor  Area:  454,249  m2  =  4,889,495.5  e2  
•  Number  of  Stories:  162  
•  Building  Height:  828  m  =  2,716.5  e.  
•  Currently  famous  as  tallest  building  in  the  world.  
 POLITICALLY  
•  The  UAE  consists  of  seven  Emirates,  and  has  six  
royal  houses.  The  Crown  Prince  of  Abu  Dhabi  is  
the  President  of  all  the  UAE,  and  the  ruler  of  
Dubai  is  the  Vice  President.  
•  The  Emirates  are  compeQQve  with  each  other  
and  their  recent  vast  wealth  is  from  oil.  The  
government/royal  house  sponsors  most  
development  in  the  country,  oeen  through  
relaQves  who  are  the  developers.  
•   The  Sheikhs  are  projecQng  their  economical  
power  from  their  personal  wealth  and  as  an  
emerging  economy  through  having  the  world’s  
best,  tallest,  biggest,  wealthiest  etc.  
•  They  are  having  to  reinvent  their  economy  to  
stay  rich  and  powerful  and  have  decided  to  do  
it  through  tourism  and  investment  (free  trade  
zones).  Dubai  is  the  center  for  entertainment  
and  business,  while  Abu  Dhabi  is  their  
governmental  center  and  Al  Ain  is  the  
historical  center.  
•   Hence  the  world’s  tallest  tower,  the  Burj  
Khalifa  in  Dubai  which  is  its  landmark  building,  
like  the  Eiffel  Tower  in  Paris.  
 ECONOMICAL:  DUBAI’S  GLOBALIZATION  
 
•  In  the  2000s  Dubai  undertook  many  spectacular  and  massive  
building  projects.  They  engineered  new  islands  for  development  
such  as  The  Palms,  built  a  massive  leisure  complex  called  
Dubailand,  and  commissioned  many  signature  buildings  from  
starchitects  like  Zaha  Hadid.  Most  were  put  on  hold  when  the  
recession  hit  in  2007.  
•  The  oil  price  crash  in  2015  led  the  UAE  government  to  limit  oil’s  
contribuQon  to  the  GDP  to  20%.  This  made  the  government  focus  
more  on  tourism  than  Oil  
•  Now  less  than  5%  of  Dubai’s  revenue  comes  from  oil  and  a  
majority  comes  from  hotel  and  restaurant  fees,  foreign  bank  
fees,  and  royalQes  on  oil.  
•  Dubai  is  an  aaracQve  market  for  foreign  investment.  With  a  per  
capita  GDP  of  $43,000  USD,  Dubai  has  37  free  trade  zones  
divided  into  business  categories.  
•  The  free  trade  zones  have  favorable  tax  and  business  regulaQons  
such  as  no  personal  income  tax,  tax  exempQons  on  imports  and  
exports,  and  corporate  tax  exempQons  of  up  to  50  years.  
•  The  change  in  their  economy  intersects  with  the  phenomenon  of  
globalizaQon.  Their  building  projects  have  all  the  characterisQcs  
of  globalizaQon:  foreign  starchitects,  massive  scale,  spectacle,  
designer  brands  and  mulQnaQonal  corporaQzed  goals.  
ECONOMICAL:  BURJ  KHALIFA  
•  The  client,  Emaar  ProperQes  Dubai,  is  one  of  the  largest  real  
estate  developers  in  the  UAE.  It  was  originally  state–owned.  
•  In  the  2000s,  Dubai  was  described  as  an  emerging  economic  
power.  People  surged  into  Dubai  to  capitalize  on  this  rapid  
economic  growth.  
•  Emaar  acquired  a  site  to  develop  their  500-­‐acre  signature  
mega-­‐development  called  Downtown  Dubai.  The  vision  was  
to  “create  one  of  the  world’s  leading  urban  desQnaQons”  and  
become  a  hub  for  finance,  trade  and  tourism  in  the  Middle  East.  
•  They  wanted  a  building  as  its  focal  point  that  was  taller  than  
the  449-­‐metre  record  was  held  by  Taipei  101  in  Taiwan.  It  
was  also    meant  to  be  a  milestone  of  ingenuity,  inspiraQon  
and  achievement.  
•  Downtown  Dubai  also  has  the  world’s  largest  mall  which  
opened  in  2008,  one  of  the  planet’s  most  visited  places.    
•  Aeer  Abu  Dhabi  gave  Dubai  $20bn  to  stave  off  a  financial  
collapse  during  its  2007-­‐  2010  crisis,  the  name  of  the  tower   •  One  year  aeer  its  opening  in  2010,  the  Burj  Khalifa  had  established  
was  changed  from  Burj  Dubai  to  Burj  Khalifa,  aeer  the  ruler   itself  as  one  of  Dubai's  biggest  tourist  aaracQons  and  helped  
of  Abu  Dhabi,  Sheikh  Khalifa.   surrounding  hotels  boost  business  by  up  to  35%  from  2009.  A  tourist  
•  Emaar  ProperQes  is  planning  a  new  tower  designed  by   can  buy  Qckets  to  the  world’s  highest  observaQon  deck,  called  At  the  
Calatrava  that  will  surpass  Burj  Khalifa  in  height.  Burj  Khalifa   Top,  at  555  m  high.  2  million  people  visit  it  per  year.  
is  expected  to  be  overtaken  by  the  1km-­‐high  (0.6  mile)  
Kingdom  Tower  in  Saudi  Arabia  as  the  world's  tallest  building  
in  2020.   •  The  luxury  flats  were  80%  occupied  in  2012  but  the  offices  were  
mostly  empty.  Apartment  prices  have  fallen  in  the  tower  since  2014  
•  Burj  Khalifa  cost  $1.5b  to  build.  The  main  source  of  funding   but  the  Emirate  is  gearing  up  to  host  a  huge  Expo  in  2020.  
was  oil  money.  
 
 SOCIAL  -­‐  INTERIOR  
•  The  tower  was  designed  not  only  for  business  purposes  but  has  
entertainment  and  leisure  faciliQes  for  tourists  and  local  ciQzens.  It  has  
exclusive  corporate  offices,  residenQal  apartments,  four  lavish  swimming  
pools,  one  cigar  club,  one  observaQon  deck,  lounge,  gym,  library  and  
several  other  ameniQes,  such  as  restaurants.  
•  The  client  spared  no  expense  to  make  the  world’s  most  luxurious  building  
with  a  global  brand.  It  made  a  contract  with  Armani  for  a  designer  hotel.  
Armani  redesigned  the  lobby  and  added  luxurious  fitngs  and  furnishings  
to  the  rooms.  The  Armani  Hotel  occupies  the  first  37  floors.  
•  The  lobby  recepQon  features  
World  Voices,  an  installaQon  by  
arQst  Jaume  Plensa.  It  is  
composed  of  196  cymbals  
represenQng  the  196  countries  of  
the  world.  
•  It  symbolizes  the  global  
collaboraQon  to  build  and  design  
the  structure.  Brings  many  
people  from  different  naQons,  
cultures,  ethniciQes  together  
within  one  central  space.    
SOCIAL - PROGRAM  

•  With  900  residences  including  studios  and  one,  two,  three  and  
four-­‐bedroom  apartments.  
•  VariaQons:  
-­‐  1  Bed  (16)  
-­‐  2  Bed  (27)  
-­‐  3  Bed  (6)  
-­‐  4  Bed  (11)  
•  1.85  million  square  feet  of  residenQal  space    
•  over  300,000  square  feet  of  office  space  
•  Spread  throughout  levels  19-­‐108  of  the  tower  
 SOCIAL  -­‐  EXTERIOR  
•  The  tower  is  surrounded  by  the  Dubai  
Downtown  massive;y  scaled  mixed  use  
development    which  has  a  huge  mall  with  
expensive  shops,  residences,  a  range  of  hotels,  
a  Performing  Arts  Center  and  a  luxury  Arabian  
market  or  souk.  It  is  organized  around  s  a  lake  
which  has  fireworks  and  other  events  and  there  
is  a  strip  of  cafes  and  restaurants.    
•  This  has  an  internaQonal,  wealthy  clientele  but  
caters  to  tourists  in  general.  The  service  
workers  are  oeen  from  India  or  Pakistan.  
•  The  development  is  not  accessible  by  foot  from  
the  city  center.  This  is  accessed  by  car.  But  it  has  
mulQple  social  spaces  within  the  site  itself,  such  
as  viewing  areas,  fountains,  gardens…..  
•  Burj  Khalifa  has  been  the  world’s  most  
instagrammed  building  
 TECHNOLOGICAL  
•  The  tower  is  a  convenQonal  mixed  structure  type  of  
reinforced  concrete  and  steel  frame  on  a  12’  thick  concrete  
mat  foundaQon.    
•  The  form  of  the  building  was  based  off  of  the  six-­‐petalled  
desert  flower,  Hymenocallis.  
•  The  Y-­‐typed  plan  shape  is  the  innovaQve  element  which  
allowed  a  breakthrough  in  architectural  possibiliQes.  
•  The  Y-­‐shaped  floor  plan  maximizes  views  of  the  Arabian  Gulf  
while  buaressing  against  wind  forces,  prevenQng  vorQces  
from  being  formed,  while  the  podium  anchors  the  building.  
 WIND  LOADS  
•  The  irregular  design  of  the  building  serves    a  very  
important  funcQon,  resisQng  wind  loads  which  are  
significant  for  such  a  tall  structure.    
•  The  3  lobed  design  allows  the  building  to  cut  through  
the  air,  unlike  a  regular  skyscraper.    
•  It  also  prevents  the  forming  of  air  vorQces  that  could  
move  the  building  or  even  damage  it,  this  prevents  
the  need  for  a  tuned  mass  dampener,  normally  
needed  on  most  skyscrapers  to  prevent  swaying.    
•  The  building  sQll  sways  slowly,  about  5  feet.  
•  Helical  Core  design:  The  tower  is  designed  with  
a  central  core  to  prevent  the  use  of  exterior  
structural  elements.    
•  The  700  e  tall  spire  is  integral  to  the  stepped  
design,  creaQng  a  sense  of  compleQon  for  the  
landmark  and  housing  communicaQons  
equipment.  
 ENVIRONMENTAL  
•  The  building  has  378  solar  panels  able  to  heat  140,000  
liters  of  water  a  day.  
•  The  Burj  Khalifa  site  is  filled  with  water  fountains,  
lakes,  ponds,  and  has  an  abundance  of  trees  and  
gardens  and  greenspaces.    
•  The  building  has  a  system  which  collects  moisture  
from  the  air  condiQoning  system,  stores  it  in  an  on-­‐site  
irrigaQon  tank  and  uses  it  to  water  the  gardens.  
•  The  air-­‐condiQoning  and  water  systems  incorporate  
energy  saving  control  systems  to  reduce  consumpQon.  
 WORLD  RECORDS   The  Burj  being  struck  by  lightning  in  March  2017.  
•  Tallest  building  in  the  world    
•  Tallest  man-­‐made  structure  in  the  world  
•  Tallest  free-­‐standing  structure  in  the  world  
•  Largest  number  of  stories  in  the  world  
•  Highest  occupied  floor  in  the  world    
•  Highest  outdoor  observaQon  deck  in  the  world    
•  World  record  for  verQcal  concrete  pumping    
•  Tallest  service  elevator  in  the  world    
•  World  record  for  the  highest  installaQon  of  an  
aluminium  and  glass  façade  
•  World’s  highest  swimming  pool  

 
BIBLIOGRAPHY  
•  haps://www.britannica.com/topic/Burj-­‐Khalifa  
•  haps://www.som.com/projects/burj_khalifa__structural_engineering  
•  haps://www.arabianbusiness.com/dubai-­‐economy-­‐faces-­‐tough-­‐2010-­‐report-­‐9474.html  
•  haps://www.google.com/search?q=who+paid+for+burj+khalifa&oq=who+paid+for+burj+khalid&aqs=chrome.
1.69i57j0.9595j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-­‐8  
•  haps://www.besix.com/en/projects/burj-­‐khalifa  
•  haps://pdfs.semanQcscholar.org/00ee/74c12a9567cc13f881f18dc2f3cb4e51a440.pdf  
•  haps://www.dailyforex.com/forex-­‐arQcles/2018/01/is-­‐the-­‐united-­‐arab-­‐emirates-­‐economy-­‐sQll-­‐dependent-­‐on-­‐oil/89370  
•  haps://www.google.com/search?q=emaar+properQes&oq=Emaar+ProperQes&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.1784j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-­‐8  
•  hap://www.burjkhalifa.ae/img/FACT-­‐SHEET.pdf  
•  haps://www.quora.com/How-­‐and-­‐why-­‐was-­‐the-­‐Burj-­‐Khalifa-­‐built  
•  hap://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/the-­‐tower/?_ga=2.12549428.1616156314.1540524487-­‐1118221315.1540524487  
•  haps://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/jan/10/burj-­‐khalifa-­‐dubai-­‐skyscraper-­‐architecture  
•  haps://www.google.com/search?q=Frank+Lloyd+Wright%27s+1956+plans+for+the+Illinois+Sky-­‐City+in
+Chicago.&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjzqujzlqPeAhVJMt8KHfx6B8MQ_AUIDigB&biw=1920&bih=938#imgrc=
kbS66qpaYsDixM  
•  haps://www.cpc.gov.ae/sitecollecQondocuments/40%20years%20book%20english.pdf  
•  haps://theconstructor.org/structures/structural-­‐details-­‐burj-­‐khalifa-­‐concrete-­‐grade-­‐foundaQons/20512/