All week this week on Good Morning America they're featuring things that are "big", both man-made and natural, and when I heard the promos I wondered if they would be talking about the Burj Dubai. This morning they did, and I'm in heaven (so to speak.)
The Burj Dubai is the world's tallest building, with approximately 160 floors. I say approximately because it's not finished yet, and the developers haven't said what the final height will be. It just keeps getting taller and taller. I first heard about the Burj Dubai when I read an article about it in the December, 2007 issue of Wired magazine. The article focused on the structural engineer who designed the building, and specifically the engineering solutions necessary for "supertall" buildings, or those that have 150 stories or more. It was written for a non-technical audience and I was fascinated to learn about a building that will be roughly equivalent in height to the Sears Tower standing on top of the Hancock building. Wanting to learn more, I typed Burj Dubai into google and the rest is history.
Seeing the building in person was one of the highlights of my trip to Dubai last year. Because it's not open yet, I didn't have to make the decision about whether or not to go up to the observation deck, which I think will be on the 120th floor or so. It would be a once in a lifetime view, that's for sure, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about being that high up off the ground. Just standing at ground level and looking up was amazing. According to the Wired article, even in the best of times it's hard for developers to rent/sell all the available space in a large building when it first opens, and Dubai is currently feeling the effects of the worldwide economic downturn, so who knows how long it will be before this amazing building is fully occupied. However long it takes, I'll be watching.
You can check out the official Burj Dubai website here.
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