Burj Khalifa - Wikipedia Burj Khalifa `` Burj Dubai '' redirects here. It is not to be confused with Bur Dubai, a district of Dubai. Burj Khalifa برج خليفة Wikimedia © OpenStreetMap Former names Burj Dubai Record height Tallest in the world since 2008 Preceded by Taipei 101 General information Status Complete Type Mixed - use Architectural style Neo-futurism Location Dubai Address 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard Country United Arab Emirates Coordinates 25 ° 11 ′ 49.7 '' N 55 ° 16 ′ 26.8 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 25.197139 ° N 55.274111 ° E ﻿ / 25.197139 ; 55.274111 Coordinates : 25 ° 11 ′ 49.7 '' N 55 ° 16 ′ 26.8 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 25.197139 ° N 55.274111 ° E ﻿ / 25.197139 ; 55.274111 Named for Sheikh Khalifa Construction started 6 January 2004 ( 2004 - 01 - 06 ) Topped - out 17 January 2009 Completed 1 October 2009 ( 2009 - 10 - 01 ) Opened 4 January 2010 Cost US $ 1.5 billion Owner Emaar Properties Height Architectural 828 m ( 2,717 ft ) Tip 829.8 m ( 2,722 ft ) Top floor 584.5 m ( 1,918 ft ) Observatory 555.7 m ( 1,823 ft ) Technical details Structural system Reinforced concrete, steel, and aluminium Floor count 154 + 9 maintenance Floor area 309,473 m ( 3,331,100 sq ft ) Lifts / elevators 57 Design and construction Architect Adrian Smith Architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Structural engineer Bill Baker Main contractor Samsung C&T Other information Parking 2 subterranean levels Website www.burjkhalifa.ae References The Burj Khalifa ( Arabic : برج خليفة ‎, Arabic for `` Khalifa Tower '' ; pronounced English : / ˈbɜːrdʒ kəˈliːfə / ), known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m ( 2,722 ft ) and a roof height ( excluding antenna ) of 828 m ( 2,717 ft ), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in late 2008. Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed five years later in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. It is designed to be the centrepiece of large - scale, mixed - use development. The decision to construct the building is based on the government 's decision to diversify from an oil - based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was originally named Burj Dubai but was renamed in honour of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan ; 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 Adrian Smith, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, whose firm designed the Willis Tower and One World Trade Center. Hyder Consulting was chosen to be the supervising engineer with NORR Group Consultants International Limited chosen to supervise the architecture of the project. 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 with the exception of 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. At a certain point in the architectural and engineering process, the original Emaar developers ran into financial issues, and required more money and economic funding. Sheikh Khalifa, the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, granted monetary aid and funding, hence resulting in the changing of the name to `` Burj Khalifa ''. The concept of profitability derived from building high density developments and malls around the landmark have proven successful. Its surrounding malls, hotels and condominiums in Downtown Dubai have generated the most considerable revenue from the project as a whole, while the Burj Khalifa itself made little or no profit. Critical reception to Burj Khalifa has been generally positive, and the building has received many awards. There were complaints concerning migrant workers from South Asia who were the primary building labor force. These centered on low wages and the practice of confiscating passports until duties were complete. Several suicides were reported. Contents 1 Development 2 Conception 2.1 Records 2.2 History of height increases 3 Architecture and design 3.1 Plumbing systems 3.2 Air conditioning 3.3 Window cleaning 4 Features 4.1 The Dubai Fountain 4.2 Observation deck 4.3 Burj Khalifa park 4.4 Floor plans 4.5 Ramadan observance 5 Construction and structure 5.1 Milestones 5.2 Real estate values 5.3 Official launch ceremony 6 Incidents 6.1 Fatalities 6.2 Labour controversy 7 Other uses 7.1 BASE jumping 7.2 Climbing 8 In popular culture 9 Awards 10 See also 11 References 12 External links Development Construction began on 6 January 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010, and is part of the 2 km ( 490 - acre ) Downtown Dubai development at the ' First Interchange ' along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai 's main business district. The tower 's architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago, with Adrian Smith as chief architect, and Bill Baker as chief structural engineer. The primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea. Conception Burj Khalifa was designed to be the centerpiece of a large - scale, mixed - use development to include 30,000 homes, nine hotels ( including The Address Downtown Dubai ), 3 hectares ( 7.4 acres ) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12 - hectare ( 30 - acre ) artificial Burj Khalifa Lake. The decision to build Burj Khalifa was reportedly based on the government 's decision to diversify from an oil - based economy to one that is service and tourism based. According to officials, it was necessary for projects like Burj Khalifa to be built in order to garner more international recognition, and hence investment. `` He ( Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ) wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational, '' said Jacqui Josephson, a tourism and VIP delegations executive at Nakheel Properties. The tower was known as Burj Dubai ( `` Dubai Tower '' ) until its official opening in January 2010. It was renamed in honour of the ruler of Abu Dhabi the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan ; Abu Dhabi and the federal government of UAE lent Dubai tens of billions of US dollars so that Dubai could pay its debts -- Dubai borrowed at least $80 billion for construction projects. In the 2000s, Dubai started diversifying its economy but it suffered from an economic crisis in 2007 -- 2010, leaving large - scale projects already in construction abandoned. Records Tallest existing structure : 829.8 m ( 2,722 ft ) ( previously KVLY - TV mast -- 628.8 m or 2,063 ft ) Tallest structure ever built : 829.8 m ( 2,722 ft ) ( previously Warsaw radio mast -- 646.38 m or 2,121 ft ) Tallest freestanding structure : 829.8 m ( 2,722 ft ) ( previously CN Tower -- 553.3 m or 1,815 ft ) Tallest skyscraper ( to top of spire ) : 828 m ( 2,717 ft ) ( previously Taipei 101 -- 509.2 m or 1,671 ft ) Tallest skyscraper to top of antenna : 829.8 m ( 2,722 ft ) ( previously the Willis ( formerly Sears ) Tower -- 527 m or 1,729 ft ) Building with most floors : 163 previously World Trade Center -- 110 World 's highest elevator installation ( situated inside a rod at the very top of the building ) World 's longest travel distance elevators : 504 m ( 1,654 ft ) Highest vertical concrete pumping ( for a building ) : 606 m ( 1,988 ft ) World 's tallest structure that includes residential space World 's highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade : 512 m ( 1,680 ft ) World 's highest nightclub : 144th floor World 's highest restaurant ( At. mosphere ) : 122nd floor at 442 m ( 1,450 ft ) ( previously 360, at a height of 350 m ( 1,148 ft ) in CN Tower ) World 's highest New Year display of fireworks. History of height increases Burj Khalifa compared with some other well - known tall structures There are unconfirmed reports of several planned height increases since its inception. Originally proposed as a virtual clone of the 560 m ( 1,837 ft ) Grollo Tower proposal for Melbourne, Australia 's Docklands waterfront development, the tower was redesigned by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Marshall Strabala, a Skidmore, Owings and Merrill architect who worked on the project until 2006, said in late 2008 that Burj Khalifa was designed to be 808 m ( 2,651 ft ) tall. The architect who designed it, Adrian Smith, felt that the uppermost section of the building did not culminate elegantly with the rest of the structure, so he sought and received approval to increase its height. It was stated that this change did not add any floors, which fit with Smith 's attempts to make the crown more slender. The building opened on 4 January 2010. Architecture and design Cross-section comparisons of various towers, from top to bottom : Burj Khalifa, Taipei 101, Willis Tower, and World Trade Center The tower was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill ( SOM ), which also designed the Willis Tower ( formerly the Sears Tower ) in Chicago and the One World Trade Center in New York City. Burj Khalifa uses the bundled tube design of the Willis Tower, invented by Fazlur Rahman Khan. Due to its tubular system, proportionally only half the amount of steel was used in the construction, compared to the Empire State Building. Khan 's contributions to the design of tall buildings have had a profound impact on architecture and engineering. It would be difficult to find any worldwide practices in the design of tall buildings that have not been directly or indirectly influenced by his work. The design is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright 's vision for The Illinois, a mile - high skyscraper designed for Chicago, as well as Chicago 's Lake Point Tower. When Adrian Smith was conceiving the project at SOM, he looked out his office window toward Lake Point Tower 's curved three wing layout, `` There 's the prototype '', he said. According to Strabala, Burj Khalifa was designed based on the 73 floor Tower Palace Three, an all - residential building in Seoul. In its early planning, Burj Khalifa was intended to be entirely residential. Subsequent to the original design by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Emaar Properties chose Hyder Consulting to be the supervising engineer and NORR Group Consultants International Ltd to supervise the architecture of the project. Hyder was selected for their expertise in structural and MEP ( mechanical, electrical and plumbing ) engineering. Hyder Consulting 's role was to supervise construction, certify the architect 's design, and be the engineer and architect of record to the UAE authorities. NORR 's role was the supervision of all architectural components including on - site supervision during construction and design of a 6 - story addition to the office annex building for architectural documentation. NORR was also responsible for the architectural integration drawings for the Armani Hotel included in the Tower. Emaar Properties also engaged GHD, an international multidisciplinary consulting firm, to act as an independent verification and testing authority for concrete and steelwork. The design is derived from Islamic architecture. As the tower rises from the flat desert base, there are 27 setbacks in a spiral pattern, decreasing the cross section of the tower as going upward and creating convenient outdoor terraces. These setbacks are arranged and aligned in a way that minimizes vibration wind loading from eddy currents and vortices. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. At its tallest point, the tower sways a total of 1.5 m ( 4.9 ft ). The spiral minaret at the Great Mosque of Samarra The spire of Burj Khalifa is composed of more than 4,000 tonnes ( 4,400 short tons ; 3,900 long tons ) of structural steel. The central pinnacle pipe weighs 350 tonnes ( 390 short tons ; 340 long tons ) and has a height of 200 m ( 660 ft ). The spire also houses communications equipment. This 244 - metre spire is widely considered vanity height, since very little of its space is usable. Without the spire, Burj Khalifa would be 585 meters tall. This was reported in a Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat study, which notes that the empty spire `` could be a skyscraper on its own ''. Such a skyscraper, if located in Europe, would be the 11th tallest building on that continent. In 2009, architects announced that more than 1,000 pieces of art would adorn the interiors of Burj Khalifa, while the residential lobby of Burj Khalifa would display the work of Jaume Plensa. The cladding system consists of 142,000 m ( 1,528,000 sq ft ) of more than 26,000 reflective glass panels and aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrel panels with vertical tubular fins. The architectural glass provides solar and thermal performance as well as an anti-glare shield for the intense desert sun, extreme desert temperatures and strong winds. The glass covers more than 174,000 m ( 1,870,000 sq ft ) in area. The Burj 's typical curtain wall panels measure 4'6 '' wide by 10'8 '' high and weigh about 800 pounds each, with wider panels near the buildings edges and taller ones near the top. The exterior temperature at the top of the building is thought to be 6 ° C ( 11 ° F ) cooler than at its base. A 304 - room Armani Hotel, the first of four by Armani, occupies 15 of the lower 39 floors. The hotel was supposed to open on 18 March 2010, but after several delays, it finally opened to the public on 27 April 2010. The corporate suites and offices were also supposed to open from March onwards, yet the hotel and observation deck remained the only parts of the building which were open in April 2010. The sky lobbies on the 43rd and 76th floors house swimming pools. Floors through to 108 have 900 private residential apartments ( which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of being on the market ). An outdoor zero - entry swimming pool is located on the 76th floor of the tower. Corporate offices and suites fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 122nd, 123rd and 124th floor where the At. mosphere restaurant, sky lobby and an indoor and outdoor observation deck are located respectively. In January 2010, it was planned that Burj Khalifa would receive its first residents from February 2010. The building has 57 elevators and 8 escalators. The elevators have a capacity of 12 to 14 people per cabin, the fastest rising and descending at up to 10 m / s ( 33 ft / s ) for double - deck elevators. However, the world 's fastest single - deck elevator still belongs to Taipei 101 at 16.83 m / s ( 55.2 ft / s ). Engineers had considered installing the world 's first triple - deck elevators, but the final design called for double - deck elevators. The double - deck elevators are equipped with entertainment features such as LCD displays to serve visitors during their travel to the observation deck. The building has 2,909 stairs from the ground floor to the 160th floor. Plumbing Systems The Burj Khalifa 's water system supplies an average of 946,000 L ( 250,000 U.S. gal ) of water per day through 100 km ( 62 mi ) of pipes. An additional 213 km ( 132 mi ) of piping serves the fire emergency system, and 34 km ( 21 mi ) supplies chilled water for the air conditioning system. The waste water system uses gravity to discharge water from plumbing fixtures, floor drains, mechanical equipment and storm water, to the city municipal sewer. Air conditioning The air conditioning system draws air from the upper floors where the air is cooler and cleaner than on the ground. At peak cooling times, the tower 's cooling is equivalent to that provided by 13,000 short tons ( 26,000,000 lb ) of melting ice in one day, or about 46 MW. Water is collected via a condensate collection system and is used to irrigate the nearby park. Window cleaning To wash the 24,348 windows, totaling 120,000 m ( 1,290,000 sq ft ) of glass, the building has three horizontal tracks which each holding a 1,500 kg ( 3,300 lb ) bucket machine. Above level 109, and up to tier 27, traditional cradles from davits are used. The top of the building is cleaned by a crew that uses ropes to descend from the top to gain access. Under normal conditions, when all building maintenance units are operational, it takes 36 workers three to four months to clean the entire exterior. Unmanned machines clean the top 27 additional tiers and the glass spire. The cleaning system was developed in Melbourne, Australia at a cost of A $ 8 million. The contract for building the cleaning machines was won by Australian company CoxGomyl, a manufacturer of building maintenance units. Features The Dubai fountain The Dubai Fountain Main article : The Dubai Fountain Outside, WET Enterprises designed a fountain system at a cost of Dh 800 million ( US $217 million ). Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 50 coloured projectors, it is 270 m ( 900 ft ) long and shoots water 150 m ( 500 ft ) into the air, accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and other music. It is the world 's second largest choreographed fountain. On 26 October 2008, Emaar announced that based on results of a naming contest the fountain would be called the Dubai Fountain. Observation deck View of The Dubai Fountain from the observation deck View from the observation deck An outdoor observation deck, named At the Top, opened on 5 January 2010 on the 124th floor. At 452 m ( 1,483 ft ), it was the highest outdoor observation deck in the world when it opened. Although it was surpassed in December 2011 by Cloud Top 488 on the Canton Tower, Guangzhou at 488 m ( 1,601 ft ), Burj Khalifa opened the 148th floor SKY level at 555 m ( 1,821 ft ), once again giving it the highest observation deck in the world on 15 October 2014, until the Shanghai Tower opened in June 2016 with an observation deck at a height of 561 metres. The 124th floor observation deck also features the electronic telescope, an augmented reality device developed by Gsmprjct ° of Montréal, which allows visitors to view the surrounding landscape in real - time, and to view previously saved images such as those taken at different times of day or under different weather conditions. To manage the daily rush of sightseers, visitors are able to purchase tickets in advance for a specific date and time and at a 75 % discount on tickets purchased on the spot. Tickets start at 135 AED, or 36.75 USD. On 8 February 2010, the observation deck was closed to the public for two months after power - supply problems caused an elevator to become stuck between floors, trapping a group of tourists for 45 minutes. When the tide is low and visibility is high, people can see the shores of Iran from the top of the skyscraper. Burj Khalifa park Burj Khalifa is surrounded by an 11 ha ( 27 - acre ) park designed by landscape architects SWA Group. Like the tower, the park 's design was based on the flower of the Hymenocallis, a desert plant. At the centre of the park is the water room, which is a series of pools and water jet fountains. Benches and signs incorporate images of Burj Khalifa and the Hymenocallis flower. The plants are watered by water collected from the building 's cooling system. The system provides 68,000,000 L ( 15,000,000 imp gal ) annually. WET Enterprises, who also developed the Dubai Fountain, developed the park 's six water features. Floor plans The following is a breakdown of floors. Floors Purpose Dimetric projection with floors color - coded by function 160 -- 163 Mechanical 156 -- 159 Communication and broadcast 155 Mechanical 149 -- 154 Corporate suites 148 The New Deck observatory 139 -- 147 Corporate suites 136 -- 138 Mechanical 125 -- 135 Corporate suites 124 At the Top observatory 123 Sky lobby 122 At. mosphere restaurant 111 -- 121 Corporate suites 109 -- 110 Mechanical 77 -- 108 Residential 76 Sky lobby 73 -- 75 Mechanical 44 -- 72 Residential 43 Sky lobby 40 -- 42 Mechanical 38 -- 39 Armani Hotel suites 19 -- 37 Residential 17 -- 18 Mechanical 9 -- 16 Armani Residences 1 -- 8 Armani Hotel Ground Armani Hotel Concourse Armani Hotel B1 -- B2 Parking, mechanical Ramadan observance On the higher floors, the sun can still be seen for several minutes after it has set at ground level. This has led Dubai clerics to rule that those living above the 80th floor should wait 2 additional minutes to break their Ramadan fast, and those living above the 150th floor, 3 minutes. Construction and structure Play media Animation of construction process Aerial closeup of Burj Khalifa under construction in March 2008 The tower was constructed by Samsung C&T from South Korea, which also did work on the Petronas Twin Towers and Taipei 101. Samsung C&T built the tower in a joint venture with BESIX from Belgium and Arabtec from the UAE. Turner was the project manager on the main construction contract. The contractor and the engineer of record was Hyder Consulting. Under UAE law, the contractor and the engineer of record is jointly and severally liable for the performance of Burj Khalifa. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. Putzmeister created a new, super high - pressure trailer concrete pump, the BSA 14000 SHP - D, for this project. Burj Khalifa 's construction used 330,000 m ( 431,600 cu yd ) of concrete and 55,000 tonnes ( 61,000 short tons ; 54,000 long tons ) of steel rebar, and construction took 22 million man - hours. In May 2008 Putzmeister pumped concrete with more than 21 MPA ultimate compressive strength of gravel to surpass the 600 meters weight of the effective area of each column from the foundation to the next fourth level, and the rest was by metal columns jacketed or covered with concrete to a then world record delivery height of 606 m ( 1,988 ft ), the 156th floor. Three tower cranes were used during construction of the uppermost levels, each capable of lifting a 25 - tonne load. The remaining structure above was constructed of lighter steel. In 2003, 33 test holes were drilled to study the strength of the bedrock underlying the structure. `` Weak to very weak sandstone and siltstone '' was found, just metres below the surface. Samples were taken from test holes drilled to a depth of 140 metres, finding weak to very weak rock all the way. The study described the site as part of a `` seismically active area ''. Over 45,000 m ( 58,900 cu yd ) of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes ( 120,000 short tons ; 110,000 long tons ) were used to construct the concrete and steel foundation, which features 192 piles ; each pile is 1.5 metre in diameter by 43 m in length, buried more than 50 m ( 164 ft ) deep. The foundation was designed to support the total building weight of approximately 450,000 tonnes ( 500,000 short tons ; 440,000 long tons ). This weight was then divided by the compressive strength of concrete of which is 30 MPa which yielded a 450 sq. meters of vertical normal effective area, which then yielded to a 12 meters by 12 meters dimensions. A cathodic protection system is under the concrete to neutralize the groundwater and prevent corrosion. The Burj Khalifa is highly compartmentalised. Pressurized, air - conditioned refuge floors are located every 13 floors ( in floors G, 13, 26, 39, 52 etc. ) where people can shelter on their long walk down to safety in case of an emergency or fire. Special mixes of concrete were made to withstand the extreme pressures of the massive building weight ; as is typical with reinforced concrete construction, each batch of concrete was tested to ensure it could withstand certain pressures. CTLGroup, working for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, conducted the creep and shrinkage testing critical for the structural analysis of the building. The consistency of the concrete used in the project was essential. It was difficult to create a concrete that could withstand both the thousands of tonnes bearing down on it and Persian Gulf temperatures that can reach 50 ° C ( 122 ° F ). To combat this problem, the concrete was not poured during the day. Instead, during the summer months, ice was added to the mixture and it was poured at night when the air was cooler and the humidity was higher. Cooler concrete cures more evenly and is therefore less likely to set too quickly and crack. Any significant cracks could have put the entire project in jeopardy. Milestones Burj Khalifa and skyline of Dubai, 2010 January 2004 : Excavation commences. February 2004 : Piling starts. 21 September 2004 : Emaar contractors begin construction. March 2005 : Structure of Burj Khalifa starts rising. June 2006 : Level 50 is reached. February 2007 : Surpasses the Sears Tower as the building with the most floors. 13 May 2007 : Sets record for vertical concrete pumping on any building at 452 m ( 1,483 ft ), surpassing the 449.2 m ( 1,474 ft ) to which concrete was pumped during the construction of Taipei 101, while Burj Khalifa reached the 130th floor. 21 July 2007 : Surpasses Taipei 101, whose height of 509.2 m ( 1,671 ft ) made it the world 's tallest building, and level 141 reached. 12 August 2007 : Surpasses the Sears Tower antenna, which stands 527 m ( 1,729 ft ). 12 September 2007 : At 555.3 m ( 1,822 ft ), becomes the world 's tallest freestanding structure, surpassing the CN Tower in Toronto, and level 150 reached. 7 April 2008 : At 629 m ( 2,064 ft ), surpasses the KVLY - TV Mast to become the tallest man - made structure, level 160 reached. 17 June 2008 : Emaar announces that Burj Khalifa 's height is over 636 m ( 2,087 ft ) and that its final height will not be given until it is completed in September 2009. 1 September 2008 : Height tops 688 m ( 2,257 ft ), making it the tallest man - made structure ever built, surpassing the previous record - holder, the Warsaw Radio Mast in Konstantynów, Poland. 17 January 2009 : Topped out at 829.8 m ( 2,722 ft ). 1 October 2009 : Emaar announces that the exterior of the building is completed. 4 January 2010 : Burj Khalifa 's official launch ceremony is held and Burj Khalifa is opened. Burj Dubai renamed Burj Khalifa in honour of the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan. 10 March 2010 : Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat certifies Burj Khalifa as world 's tallest building. Real estate values In March 2009, Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of the project 's developer, Emaar Properties, said office space pricing at Burj Khalifa reached US $4,000 per sq ft ( over US $43,000 per m2 ) and the Armani Residences, also in Burj Khalifa, sold for US $3,500 per sq ft ( over US $37,500 per m2 ). He estimated the total cost for the project to be about US $1.5 billion. The project 's completion coincided with the global financial crisis of 2007 -- 2012, and with vast overbuilding in the country, leading to high vacancies and foreclosures. With Dubai mired in debt from its huge ambitions, the government was forced to seek multibillion dollar bailouts from its oil - rich neighbor Abu Dhabi. Subsequently, in a surprise move at its opening ceremony, the tower was renamed Burj Khalifa, said to honour the UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his crucial support. Because of the slumping demand in Dubai 's property market, the rents in the Burj Khalifa plummeted 40 % some ten months after its opening. Out of 900 apartments in the tower, 825 were still empty at that time. However, over the next two and a half years, overseas investors steadily began to purchase the available apartments and office space. By October 2012, Emaar reported that around 80 % of the apartments were occupied. Official launch ceremony The opening ceremony of Burj Khalifa The ceremony was broadcast live on a giant screen on Burj Park Island and on smaller screens elsewhere. Hundreds of media outlets from around the world reported live from the scene. In addition to the media presence, 6,000 guests were expected. The opening was held on 4 January 2010. The ceremony featured a display of 10,000 fireworks, light beams projected on and around the tower, and further sound, light and water effects. The celebratory lighting was designed by UK lighting designers Speirs and Major Associates. Using the 868 powerful stroboscope lights that are integrated into the façade and spire of the tower, different lighting sequences were choreographed, together with more than 50 different combinations of other effects. A short film about Burj Khalifa and Dubai in general was followed by a fireworks and light show. The first part of the show was based on a desert flower theme and included fireworks, lights, and sounds. The second segment told the story of the tower 's construction using 300 projectors to generate an image of the tower. The final segment used fireworks and lights to illuminate the tower. Incidents Fatalities Within 17 months of the building 's official opening, a man described as `` an Asian in his mid-30s '' who worked at one of the companies in the tower, died by suicide on 10 May 2011 by jumping from the 147th floor. He fell 39 floors, landing on a deck on the 108th floor. Dubai police confirmed the act as a suicide, reporting that `` ( they ) also came to know that the man decided to commit suicide as his company refused to grant leave. '' The Daily Mail reported that on 16 November 2014, a Portuguese national who was in Dubai on a tourist visa, fell to her death from Burj Khalifa 's `` At the Top '' observation deck on the 148th floor. However, on 18 May 2015, Dubai police disputed the report made by the Daily Mail on this incident and said that this incident took place in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. A Dubai coroner 's report stated her body was found on the third floor of the Burj Khalifa. Emails obtained under the Freedom of Information act from Portugal 's embassy in the UAE also confirmed that she had committed suicide from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa. Labour controversy Further information : Human rights in the United Arab Emirates The Burj Khalifa was built primarily by workers from South Asia and East Asia. This is generally because the current generation of UAE locals prefer governmental jobs and do not have an attitude favouring private sector employment. On 17 June 2008, there were about 7,500 skilled workers employed at the construction site. Press reports indicated in 2006 that skilled carpenters at the site earned £ 4.34 a day, and labourers earned £ 2.84. According to a BBC investigation and a Human Rights Watch report, the workers were housed in abysmal conditions, and worked long hours for low pay. During construction, only one construction - related death was reported. However, workplace injuries and fatalities in the UAE are `` poorly documented '', according to Human Rights Watch. On 21 March 2006, about 2,500 workers, upset over buses that were delayed for the end of their shifts, protested and triggered a riot, damaging cars, offices, computers and construction equipment. A Dubai Interior Ministry official said the rioters caused almost £ 500,000 in damage. Most of the workers involved in the riot returned the following day but refused to work. Other uses BASE jumping The building has been used by several experienced BASE jumpers for both authorised and unauthorised BASE jumping : In May 2008, Hervé Le Gallou and David McDonnell, dressed as engineers, illegally infiltrated Burj Khalifa ( around 650 metres ( 2,130 ft ) at the time ), and jumped off a balcony situated several floors below the 160th floor. On 8 January 2010, with permission of the authorities, Nasr Al Niyadi and Omar Al Hegelan, from the Emirates Aviation Society, broke the world record for the highest BASE jump from a building after they leapt from a crane - suspended platform attached to the 160th floor at 672 m ( 2,205 ft ). The two men descended the vertical drop at a speed of up to 220 km / h ( 140 mph ), with enough time to open their parachutes 10 seconds into the 90 - second jump. On 21 April 2014, with permission of the authorities and support from several sponsors, highly experienced French BASE jumpers Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen broke the Guinness world record for the highest BASE jump from a building after they leapt from a specially designed platform, built at the very top of the pinnacle, at 828 metres ( 2,717 feet ). Climbing On 28 March 2011, Alain `` Spiderman '' Robert scaled the outside of Burj Khalifa. The climb to the top of the spire took six hours. To comply with UAE safety laws, Robert, who usually climbs in free solo style, used a rope and harness. In Popular culture This section gives self - sourcing examples without describing their significance in the context of the article. ( September 2018 ) Some scenes of the 2011 American action film Mission : Impossible -- Ghost Protocol were shot on and in the Burj Khalifa. An alternate version of the Burj Khalifa appears in the 2012 video game Spec Ops : The Line. In the 2013 American animated film Planes, Dusty Crophopper and the plane competitors pass the Burj Khalifa in the stage from Germany to India. In the 2016 American science fiction film Independence Day : Resurgence, the Burj Khalifa was seen where it -- along with many other structures -- is being thrown into London by the aliens using their mothership 's anti-gravity pull. The Burj Khalifa, alongside other Dubai landmarks, was featured in the music video of Thunder by Imagine Dragons. In the 2017 American disaster film Geostorm, the building is hit by a massive tsunami, which causes the antenna to fall off and the building itself to tilt at a precarious angle. The unique design and engineering challenges of building Burj Khalifa have been featured in a number of television documentaries, including Big, Bigger, Biggest and Mega Builders. Awards In June 2010, Burj Khalifa was the recipient of the 2010 `` Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa '' award by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. On 28 September 2010 Burj Khalifa won the award for best project of the year at the Middle East Architect Awards 2010. Awards Chair Gordon Gill, of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, said : We are talking about a building here that has changed the landscape of what is possible in architecture a building that became internationally recognized as an icon long before it was even completed. ' Building of the Century ' was thought a more appropriate title for it. Burj Khalifa was also the recipient of following awards. Year Award 2012 Award of Merit for World Voices Sculpture, Burj Khalifa Lobby from Structural Engineers Association of Illinois ( SEAOI ), Chicago. 2011 Interior Architecture Award, Certificate of Merit from AIA -- Chicago Chapter. Distinguished Building Award, Citation of Merit from AIA -- Chicago Chapter. Interior Architecture Award : Special Recognition from AIA -- Chicago Chapter. Design Excellence Award : Special Function Room. Excellence in Engineering from ASHRAE ( American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air - Conditioning Engineers ) -- Illinois Chapter. Outstanding Structure Award from International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering. Decade of Design, Presidential Commendation in Corporate Space Small from International Interior Design Association ( IIDA ). Decade of Design Best of Category / Mixed Use Buildings from International Interior Design Association ( IIDA ). GCC Technical Building Project of the Year from MEED ( formerly Middle East Economic Digest ). Project of the Year from MEED. International Architecture Award. Arab Achievement Award 2010 : Best Architecture Project from Arab Investment Summit. Architecture Award ( Mixed Use ) Dubai from Arabian Property Awards. Architecture Award ( Mixed Use ) Arabian Region from Arabian Property Awards. International Architecture Award from Chicago Athenaeum. American Architecture Award from Chicago Athenaeum. Commercial / Mixed Use Built from Cityscape. Best Mixed Use Built Development in Cityscape Abu Dhabi. Skyscraper Award : Silver Medal from Emporis. Award for Commercial or Retail Structure from Institution of Structural Engineers. International Architecture Award ( Mixed Use ) from International Commercial Property Awards. Special Recognition for Technological Advancement from International Highrise Awards. Best Structural Design of the Year from LEAF Award. International Projects Category : Outstanding Project from National Council of Structural Engineers Associations. Best of What 's New from Popular Science Magazine. Spark Awards, Silver Award. Excellence in Structural Engineering : Most Innovative Structure from SEAOI. See also Dubai portal Architecture portal List of buildings in Dubai List of buildings with 100 floors or more List of development projects in Dubai List of tallest buildings and structures in the world List of tallest freestanding structures in the world List of tallest buildings in Dubai List of tallest buildings in the United Arab Emirates List of tallest buildings in the world List of tallest structures in the world Jeddah Tower References Jump up ^ `` Burj Khalifa ''. CTBUH Skyscraper Database. ^ Jump up to : `` Burj Khalifa -- The Skyscraper Center ''. 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Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 9 April 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2016. Medium dense to very loose granular silty sands ( Marine Deposits ) are underlain by successions of very weak to weak sandstone interbedded with very weakly cemented sand, gypsiferous fine grained sandstone / siltstone and weak to moderately weak conglomerate / calcisiltite. Jump up ^ Randy Post ( 4 January 2010 ). `` Foundations and Geotechnical Engineering for the Burj Dubai -- World 's Tallest Building ''. GeoPrac. Retrieved 24 September 2016. The soil / rock conditions were generally loose to medium dense sands overlying weak to very week sandstone and siltstone with interbeds of gypsiferous and carbonate cemented layers ( still relatively weak ). Jump up ^ Van Hampton, Tudor ( 2 April 2008 ). `` Clyde N. Baker Jr ''. Engineering News - Record. New York : McGraw Hill Construction. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015. 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CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) ( 620 KB ) ( Irwin et al., November 2006 ) BBC reports : Burj Khalifa opening, with video and links ; Maintaining the world 's tallest building Records Preceded by Warsaw Radio Mast 646.38 m ( 2,120.67 ft ) World 's tallest structure ever built 2008 -- present Incumbent Preceded by KVLY - TV mast 628.8 m ( 2,063 ft ) World 's tallest structure 2008 -- present Preceded by CN Tower 553.33 m ( 1,815.39 ft ) World 's tallest free - standing structure 2007 -- present Preceded by Taipei 101 509.2 m ( 1,670.6 ft ) World 's tallest building 2010 -- present Preceded by Willis Tower 108 floors Building with the most floors 2007 -- present Preceded by Almas Tower 360 m ( 1,180 ft ) Tallest building in Dubai 2010 -- present Dubai skyscrapers Supertall 23 Marina The Address Downtown Dubai Ahmed Abdul Rahim Al Attar Tower Al Yaqoub Tower Almas Tower Burj Al Arab Burj Khalifa Cayan Tower Elite Residence Emirates Office Tower HHHR Tower The Index Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel JW Marriott Marquis Dubai The Marina Torch Ocean Heights Princess Tower Rose Tower Completed 21st Century Tower AAM Tower Acico Twin Towers The Address Dubai Mall AG Tower Al Attar Business Tower Al Fattan Marine Towers Al Kazim Towers Al Manara Tower Al Sahab Tower 1 Al Salam Tecom Tower Al Seef Tower Al Seef Towers Al Tayer Tower Angsana Hotel & Suites Armada Towers AU Tower Capricorn Tower Central Park Towers Chelsea Tower Churchill Towers The Citadel City Premiere Hotel Apartments Concord Tower Concorde Tower Conrad Dubai The Dome Dubai Arch Tower Dubai Gate 1 Dubai Jewel Tower Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites Dubai Mixed - Use Towers Dubai World Trade Centre Dusit Residence Dusit Thani Dubai Emirates Crown Etisalat Tower 2 Executive Towers Falcon Tower Four Points by Sheraton Goldcrest Executive Goldcrest Views 1 Goldcrest Views 2 Grosvenor House West Marina Beach Grosvenor House The Residence Horizon Tower I - Rise Jumeirah Bay Jumeirah Beach Residence Jumeirah Business Center Towers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Khalid Al Attar Tower 2 Laguna Tower Lake Point Tower Lake Shore Tower 1 Lake Terrace Latifa Tower Le Rêve Liberty House MAG 214 Tower Mag 218 Tower Marina 1 Marina Crown Marina Pinnacle Marina Terrace Marina Heights Tower Media 1 Tower Millennium Tower The Monarch Office Tower Nuaimi Tower The One Tower Park Place The Peninsula The Prime Tower The Prism The Residences Rolex Tower Saeed Tower 2 Sama Tower Shaiba Towers Shangri - La Hotel Shatha Tower Sidra Tower Sky Gardens South Ridge Sulafa Tower Swiss Tower Tamani Hotel Marina Tiffany Tower Time Place The Tower Trident Grand Residence Ubora Towers Vision Tower World Trade Centre Residence Topped out Address Boulevard The Buildings by Daman DAMAC Residenze Dubai Pearl Marina 101 The Skyscraper See also : Future Dubai skyscrapers and List of tallest buildings in Dubai Supertall skyscrapers Current North America 3 World Trade Center 432 Park Avenue 875 North Michigan Avenue Aon Center Bank of America Plaza Bank of America Tower Chrysler Building Empire State Building Franklin Center JPMorgan Chase Tower One World Trade Center One57 Salesforce Tower The New York Times Building Trump International Hotel and Tower Two Prudential Plaza U.S. Bank Tower Wells Fargo Plaza Willis Tower Wilshire Grand Center South America Gran Torre Santiago Asia China Hong Kong 85 Sky Tower Bank of China Tower Central Plaza The Center Chang Fu Jin Mao Tower China World Trade Center Tower III Chongqing IFS T1 Chongqing World Financial Center CITIC Plaza Diwang International Fortune Center East Pacific Center Eton Place Dalian Fortune Center Gate to the East Greenland Puli Center Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre Guangzhou International Finance Center KK100 Leatop Plaza Longxi International Hotel Minsheng Bank Building Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre Tower 1 Nina Tower Pearl River Tower Ping An Finance Centre The Pinnacle Shanghai Tower Shanghai World Financial Center Shimao International Plaza Shun Hing Square Suning Plaza 1, Wuxi Tianjin World Financial Center Wanda Plaza Wenzhou World Trade Center The Wharf Times Square White Magnolia Plaza International Commerce Centre International Finance Centre Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza Jin Mao Tower Wuxi Maoye City -- Marriott Hotel Zhongzhou Holdings Financial Center Zhuhai St. Regis Hotel & Office Tower Zhujiang New City Tower Zifeng Tower 23 Marina Abenobashi Terminal Building Skyscraper ( Abeno Harukas ) Abraj Al Bait The Address Downtown Dubai ADNOC Headquarters Al Hamra Tower Almas Tower Arraya Tower Aspire Tower Baiyoke Tower II Burj Al Arab Burj Khalifa Cayan Tower Elite Residence Emirates Office Tower Etihad Towers Haeundae Doosan We 've the Zenith HHHR Tower The Index Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower Kingdom Centre Taipei 101 The Landmark Lotte World Tower MahaNakhon The Marina Torch Northeast Asia Trade Tower Ocean Heights Petronas Towers Princess Tower Rose Tower Telekom Tower Vincom Landmark 81 World Trade Center Abu Dhabi Europe City of Capitals Eurasia Federation Tower Mercury City Tower OKO Tower The Shard Australia Q1 Under construction North America 3 Hudson Boulevard 9 DeKalb Avenue 30 Hudson Yards 35 Hudson Yards 45 Broad Street 50 Hudson Yards 53W53 111 West 57th Street 125 Greenwich Street Central Park Tower Comcast Technology Center Manhattan West Tower 1 One Vanderbilt Vista Tower Asia China Baoneng Center Baoneng Shenyang Global Financial Center Changsha A9 Financial District Changsha IFS Tower T1 Chengdu Greenland Tower China Resources Centre Block A China Resources Headquarters Chongqing Corporate Avenue 1 Concord International Centre Dalian Greenland Center Dalian International Trade Center Deji Plaza Dongguan International Trade Center 1 Eye of Spring Trade Center Gemdale Gangxia Tower 1 Golden Eagle Tiandi Tower A Golden Eagle Tiandi Tower B Goldin Finance 117 Greenland Group Suzhou Center Guangxi Finance Plaza Haikou Tower Hanking Center Heartland 66 Office Tower Hon Kwok City Center Huaguoyuan Tower 1 Huaguoyuan Tower 2 Jin Wan Plaza 1 Jinan Center Financial City Logan Century Center 1 Mandarin Oriental Chengdu Nanjing Olympic Suning Tower Nanjing World Trade Center Tower 1 Ningbo Center One Shenzhen Bay Phoenix Towers Rose Rock International Finance Center Runhua Global Center 1 Shenglong Global Center Shimao Hunan Center Shum Yip Upperhills Tower 1 Sino - Steel Tower South Asian Gate Spring City 66 Suning Plaza Tower 1, Zhenjiang Suzhou IFS Suzhou Zhongnan Center Tianjin Chow Tai Fook Binhai Center Tianjin Modern City Office Tower Tianjin R&F Guangdong Tower Wuhan Center Wuhan Greenland Center Xiamen International Centre Yantai Shimao No. 1 The Harbour Yuexiu Fortune Center Tower 1 India DB Crown Lokhandwala Minerva Namaste Tower Palais Royale Three Sixty West World One Saudi Arabia Capital Market Authority Headquarters Diamond Tower Jeddah Tower Lamar Towers South Korea LCT Landmark Tower LCT Residential Tower A LCT Residential Tower B Parc1 Tower UAE Address Boulevard Ahmed Abdul Rahim Al Attar Tower DAMAC Residenze Dubai Pearl Marina 101 Marina 106 The Skyscraper other Abu Dhabi Plaza The Exchange 106 Gate of Kuwait Gate of Taipei Iconic Tower Merdeka PNB 118 Pertamina Energy Tower Ryugyong Hotel The Stratford Residences VietinBank Business Center Office Tower Europe Lakhta Center Australia Australia 108 Construction delayed or suspended Al Quds Endowment Tower Barwa Tower Burj Al Alam Busan Lotte Town Tower Doha Tower and Convention Center Dubai Towers Doha Forum 66 India Tower JW Marriott International Finance Centre Lighthouse Tower Millennium Tower Orchid Heights Pentominium The Pinnacle Plaza Rakyat Qatar National Bank Tower Signature Tower Jakarta Skycity Square Capital Tower Tameer Commercial Tower Tour Financial Hub Center Two World Trade Center Former World Trade Center ( 1973 -- 2001 ) See also Proposed supertall skyscrapers List of architects of supertall buildings Landmarks and attractions in Dubai Al Bastakiya Al Fahidi Fort Atlantis, The Palm Burj Al Arab Burj Khalifa Deira Clocktower Dubai Autodrome Dubai Creek Tower Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai Fountain Dubai Frame Dubai Gold Souk Dubai Mall Dubai Miracle Garden Dubai Opera Dubai Parks and Resorts Dubai Spice Souk Dubai Textile Souk Dubai Trolley Dubai World Trade Centre Emirates Towers Etisalat Tower 1 Global Village Hatta Heritage Village Heritage Village Dubai Hyatt Regency Dubai Jumeirah Beach Jumeirah Beach Hotel Madinat Jumeirah National Bank of Dubai Orbi Dubai Palm Islands Queen Elizabeth 2 Saeed Al Maktoum House Ski Dubai The Universe Wild Wadi The World Zabeel Park Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burj_Khalifa&oldid=866419113 '' Categories : High - tech architecture Hotel buildings completed in 2009 Islamic architecture Neo-futurism architecture Office buildings completed in 2009 Postmodern architecture in Dubai Residential buildings completed in 2009 Residential skyscrapers in Dubai Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings Skyscraper hotels in Dubai Skyscraper office buildings in Dubai Hidden categories : Pages using Timeline All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from May 2011 Webarchive template wayback links CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Pages containing links to subscription - only content Articles with dead external links from September 2018 Articles with dead external links from November 2016 Articles with permanently dead external links Use dmy dates from August 2018 Articles containing Arabic - language text Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from January 2010 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2014 Wikipedia articles in need of updating from September 2018 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017 Articles needing additional references from September 2018 All articles needing additional references Articles using small message boxes Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia CS1 maint : BOT : original - 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Question: what was the cost to build burj khalifa
Answer: US$1.5 billion