This Day, That Year – January 4

This day in history we feature Burj Khalifa. The current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai on this day in 2010.

Trivia – Burj Khalifa

Khalifa Tower, known as the Burj Dubai is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is known for being the world’s tallest building. The Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009, supplanting Taipei 101, the previous holder of that status. Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed five years later in 2009. The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. It was designed to be the centerpiece of large-scale, mixed-use development. The decision to construct the building was based on the government’s decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building is named in honor of the former president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Related read – Burj Khalifa is among the most photographed landmarks in the world

Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records, including its designation as the tallest building in the world. Burj Khalifa was designed by a team led by Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the firm that designed the Sears Tower in Chicago, a previous record holder for the world’s tallest building. The design is derived from the Islamic architecture of the region, such as in the Great Mosque of Samarra. The Y-shaped tripartite floor geometry is designed to optimize residential and hotel space. A buttressed central core and wings are used to support the height of the building. Although this design was derived from Tower Palace III, the Burj Khalifa’s central core houses all vertical transportation except egress stairs within each of the wings. The structure also features a cladding system which is designed to withstand Dubai’s hot summer temperatures. It contains a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators. Sheikh Khalifa, the then-ruler of the United Arab Emirates, granted monetary aid and funding, hence the changing of the name from “Burj Dubai” to “Burj Khalifa”. Construction began on 12 January 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The New Year’s Eve is an annual event held every 31 December at Burj Khalifa, the World’s tallest building in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, organized by Emaar. Emaar New Year’s Eve has won two Guinness World Records, including ‘Largest LED-Illuminated Facade’ in 2015 and 2019. In 2021, Emaar celebrated ‘togetherness’ in honor of frontline heroes during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source – Wikipedia