The Burj Dubai (renamed the Burj Khalifa right before its opening) is open to the public at last, and for all its role as a symbol of fallen excess and fiscal irresponsibility (not to mention a possible symbol of the city’s demise), the breadth and scope of this $1.5 billion monster is difficult to describe. Stand anywhere in the city — which is less of a condensed urban area than a series of massive highways connecting clusters of huge skyscrapers — and you can’t help but see the 2,717-foot Burj piercing the sky, and completely dwarfing the massive highrises that surround it.
Now, Planetizen has a spellbinding gallery of scenes from the base and surrounding area, as well as a look inside the lobby and, finally, views from the 124th floor observation deck. Note the new metro station (the details of which we’ve covered before) as well as the nearly 500 acres of new development surrounding the building, forming a new “Downtown Dubai” that cost around $20 billion. You can also see the 1,200,000Â square-foot park built around the structure. Among other amenities, the park features six huge fountains, gardens, palm lined walkways, and flowering trees (which, in the middle of a desert, involve no easy feat to maintain).
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:24 am
Meh. Together with the park surrounding the tower, the project’s total floor area ratio is 4.2, which is comparable to a row of 7-story brownstones on a traditional street grid. The only difference: the tower costs much, much more to build, and increases the ego of the developers.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:20 am
the building is amazing, but if you click the link to the “spellbinding gallery”, you may find the Old Town development to be much more interesting.
the view from the CN Tower in Toronto, the Steel Building in Pittsburgh, or a number of other places are more breathtaking - the view from atop this building is not that spectacular.
still, it is a wonder, and quite beautiful.