World's Tallest Building Set to Open

[a21schizoidman]

160 Stories, in Dubai (http://www.sphere.com/world/article/dubai-to-open-worlds-tallest-building/19300944?icid=main|netscape|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2 Fwww.sphere.com%2Fworld%2Farticle%2Fdubai-to-open-worlds-tallest-building%2F19300944)


The building boasts the most stories and highest occupied floor of any building in the world, and ranks as the world's tallest structure, beating out a television mast in North Dakota. Its observation deck - on floor 124 - also sets a record.

"We weren't sure how high we could go," said Bill Baker, the building's structural engineer, who is in Dubai for the inauguration. "It was kind of an exploration. ... A learning experience."

Baker, of Chicago-based architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, said early designs for the Burj had it edging out the world's previous record-holder, the Taipei 101, by about 33 feet. The Taiwan tower rises 1,667 feet.

The Burj's developer, Emaar Properties, kept pushing the design higher even after construction began, eventually putting it about 984 feet taller than its nearest competitor, Baker said. He is keeping quiet about the exact height.

[Ryuzaki]

I have to say, Dubai's wikipedia page is very fancy.

[topperharley]

This is what happens when billionaires feel the need to prove theirs is the biggest.

[Wiiman95]

This is what happens when billionaires feel the need to prove theirs is the biggest.

You know they say. A man's that has a big building has a big......You fill in the blank.

:D:D:D:D

[a21schizoidman]

You know they say. A man's that has a big building has a big......You fill in the blank.

:D:D:D:D

ego?

[tridentgum0]

Salary?

[bradylicious9]

You know they say. A man's that has a big building has a big......You fill in the blank.

:D:D:D:D

bank account?

[Ryuzaki]

Burrito?
If you know what I mean.

[Wiiman95]

All of the above, and more.


:D:D:D:D

[a21schizoidman]

more news (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_dubai_tallest_building), including a change in name

[Baanu_Rass]

Space Elevator soon?

[Malacandra]

They opened it to spectacular fireworks. (http://bit.ly/4HFAX0) You sure you used enough gunpowder, Burj?

[Baanu_Rass]

They opened it to spectacular fireworks. (http://bit.ly/4HFAX0) You sure you used enough gunpowder, Burj?

Wow. :eek:

[hawkofva]

I prefer the Burj Al Arab (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Burjalarab1.jpg). Maybe not super tall, but come on. The heliport sticking out off the roof doubles as a tennis court! How badass is that!?

[a21schizoidman]

I prefer the Burj Al Arab (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Burjalarab1.jpg). Maybe not super tall, but come on. The heliport sticking out off the roof doubles as a tennis court! How badass is that!?

that's a badass building

[Cubecubed]

They opened it to spectacular fireworks. (http://bit.ly/4HFAX0) You sure you used enough gunpowder, Burj?

Holy ****. :eek:

[a21schizoidman]

They opened it to spectacular fireworks. (http://bit.ly/4HFAX0) You sure you used enough gunpowder, Burj?

after working for a professional fireworks company doing 4th of July shows when i was younger (including Gurnee, IL, home of Six Flags Great America on the 4th), it takes a lot to wow me nowadays


this one wowed me...twice

[BigMonkE]

oh dubai. such an attention whore of an emirate.

[Ryuzaki]

Perhaps a possible venue for Rock Band 3's Endless Setlist?
I've always wanted to rock out in front of a building and then be completely annihilated by fireworks.

[clashcityrocker10]

I think the building looks a bit like Isengard.

[afterstasis]

too bad this isn't a set-piece for andrew wk's "destroy build destroy" tv show.

[back_blows]

Instant ban.

[pacifistWITHgun]

CN Tower World's Tallest Building R.I.P.

Bastards.



sick building tho.

[CJHobbes]

"It was kind of an exploration. ... A learning experience."

That's always fun to hear from the building's structural engineer. :D

Dubai is funny, but they have some cool-azz buildings. I'm still waiting for the rotating Da Vinci (http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/dubai/16.jpg) tower to be built.

It was fun working for an architecture company during the building boom of a few years ago. Those Dubai projects were insane to hear about.

Links of note:

Development Google Page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developments_in_Dubai)
Underwater Hotel (http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/Hydropolis/)
Man made islands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Islands)
Burj Al Arab - A 7 Star Hotel (mentioned before) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj Al Arab)
Life size replicas of the 7 Wonders of the World (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falconcity_of_Wonders)
And don't forget the man-made islands which will be in the shape of our solar system.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle D.

[a21schizoidman]

heard about those islands from a friend yesterday, weird stuff

[pacifistWITHgun]

Dubai is funny, but they have some cool-azz buildings. I'm still waiting for the rotating Da Vinci (http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/dubai/16.jpg) tower to be built.


I'm pretty sure Dubai went broke, so that's not going to happen, lol.

It's kinda cool regarding what the architect said, considering how in like a few decades I can see quite a few more of these types of buildings going up.

[Ehfahq]

Who wants to go base jump'n???

[Oscar-Rio]

Who wants to go base jump'n???

Whoever does it first will make international headlines without a doubt. And probably face a major fine to go with it.

[back_blows]

C'mon Oscar, don't you want to be infamous?

[Oscar-Rio]

C'mon Oscar, don't you want to be infamous?

I already am, mayne. I got the stacks and snow to make the party go all night or at least 'til you puke.

[Ehfahq]

Whoever does it first will make international headlines without a doubt. And probably face a major fine to go with it.

I would never go there. Crazy laws! I read a story about a guy who had a speck of pot on inside of the tread of his shoe was arrested and still in jail:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23436226-briton-jailed-for-four-years-in-dubai-after-customs-find-cannabis-weighing-less-than-a-grain-of-sugar-under-his-shoe.do

And dont eat poppy seed muffins before you go there either!

I wonder if the spiderman guy is planning on climbing it.

[Apples]

Yeah, it's open, but that's not much of an accomplishment. It's half empty because no one can afford the space.

And the state it resides in is bankrupt, threatening default on its sovereign debts. Why is it bankrupt? It was a player in the financial shell games which caused the economic collapse of last year.

So basically, this thing is the status symbol of a bankrupt state, built with a pool of imported slave labor and paid for with toxic junk bonds.


Sorry to be a wet blanket, but while this site celebrates the engineering achievement of it all, most other sites are using this building as the poster child for economic and social irresponsibility.