The Burj Khalifa, a mixed-use skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the tallest building in the world.
To honor the ruler of the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al Nahyan, the Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai, during construction was given this name.
It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a Chicago-based architectural firm. William F. Baker worked as a structural engineer, while Adrian Smith was the architect.
The Burj is more than twice the height of the Empire State Building and nearly three times the size of the Eiffel Tower at 828 m (2,716 ft 6 in).
Not only is the Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, but it has also broken two other impressive records:
the tallest structure, previously held by the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, and the tallest free-standing structure, previously held by Toronto's CN Tower.
It also has the building's tallest elevator (504 m; 1,654 ft), the most floors (163), and the tallest restaurant from ground level (441.3 m; 1,447 ft 10 in).
The modular structure is laid out on a three-lobed footprint that represents an abstract rendering of the local Hymenocallis flower.
The Y-shaped plan is essential in reducing wind forces on the tower. A series of wings support a hexagonal central core.
The exterior cladding of the building, which has residential, office, and hotel uses, was made up of nearly 26,000 hand-cut glass panels.
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