The Burj Dubai (Arabic for Dubai Constellation) is a skyscraper under construction since April 2005 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The final height of the Burj Dubai is being kept secret due to competition thought there are some rumors that hint at 808 meters (2650 ft).
The total number of habitable floors is rumored to be around 162. By August 2006, the Burj Dubai was 66 stories and 230 meters tall.The Burj Dubai is expected to be finished in 2008 and will most likely become the tallest building in the world. It will take that title from Taipei 101 in Taiwan and other proposals like the Freedom Tower at New York City's World Trade Center and the Shanghai World Financial Center. It will also become the world's tallest structure, beating the tallest freestanding structure on land, the Toronto CN Tower and the guyed KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota.
It is not known for certain but some sources claim that the Burj Dubai has been subjected to several height changes since it began. It was originally meant to be a clone of the 560 meters tall Grollo Tower proposal from Australia. However, the tower was very soon redesigned to the Skidmore Owings and Merril design that it currently sports. This design was originally drafted at 750 meters. The chief architect, Adrian Smith, did not like the design of the top of the building. He made some modifications that were met with approval; this resulted in an increase from the previously planned height. The increase in height however was not meant to add more floors to the building.
Its only purpose was to accommodate the changes made by Adrian Smith in order to make the top of building look more slender. As per the current plans, the top of Burj Dubai, starting from the 156th floor upwards, from a height of 575 meters to the top will be a steel frame structure and will not use concrete like the lower portion.
The developer, Emaar, has hinted that this steel section at the top may be extended for the sole purpose of beating any other tower and claim the title of the tallest building in the world.
The Burj Dubai will include 30,000 homes, 9 hotels, 6 acres of parkland, 19 residential towers, and a 12-hectare Burj Dubai Lake. The cost of developing the Burj Dubai will be approximately US$ 8 billion and will cover an area of 22 million square feet.
Dubai is already home to the tallest hotel, the Burj al-Arab, the world's largest man-made marina, the Dubai Marina, and the world's largest artificial island, The Palm.
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