Burj Khalifa (
Arabic:
برج خليفة "
Khalifa Tower") known as
Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration, is a skyscraper in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is currently the
tallest manmade structure in the world, at 829.84 m (2,723 ft).
Construction began on 21 September 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 new 2 km2 (490-acre) flagship development called
Downtown Dubai 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 and Merrill of
Chicago, with
Adrian Smith as chief architect, and
Bill Baker as chief structural engineer.
The total cost for the project was about US$1.5 billion; and for the entire "Downtown Dubai" development, US$20 billion. 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).
