| Burj Dubai (Arabic: برج دبي "Dubai Tower"), a supertall skyscraper under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the tallest man-made structure ever built, at 818 m (2684 ft). Construction began on 21 September 2004, and the tower is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by the end of 2009. The building is part of the 2 km2 (0.8 sq mi) flagship development called "Downtown Burj Dubai" at the "First Interchange" along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district. The tower's architect is Adrian Smith, who worked with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) until 2006. The Chicago-based architecture and engineering firm SOM is in charge of the project. The primary builders are Samsung Engineering & Construction and Besix along with Arabtec. Turner Construction Company was chosen as the construction manager. The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about US$4.1 billion, and for the entire new "Downtown Dubai", US$20 billion. Mohamed Ali Alabbar, the CEO of Emaar Properties, speaking at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 8th World Congress, said that the price of office space at Burj Dubai had reached US$4000 per sq ft (over US$43000 per m2) and that the Armani Residences, also in Burj Dubai, were selling for US$3500 per sq ft (over US$37500 per m2). Current records * Tallest structure: 818 m (2684 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast - 628.8 m (2063 ft)) * Tallest freestanding structure: 818 m (2684 ft) (previously CN Tower - 553.3 m (1815 ... |
