Helicopter tour Dubai landmark flight

Taking images of the ground from the air

Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms.^[1] When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography.

Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or "drones"), balloons, blimps and dirigibles, rockets, pigeons, kites, or using action cameras while skydiving or wingsuiting. Handheld cameras may be manually operated by the photographer, while mounted cameras are usually remotely operated or triggered automatically.

Aerial photography typically refers specifically to bird's-eye view images that focus on landscapes and surface objects, and should not be confused with air-to-air photography, where one or more aircraft are used as chase planes that "chase" and photograph other aircraft in flight. Elevated photography can also produce bird's-eye images closely resembling aerial photography (despite not actually being aerial shots) when telephotoing from high vantage structures, suspended on cables (e.g. Skycam) or on top of very tall poles that are either handheld (e.g. monopods and selfie sticks), fixed firmly to the ground (e.g. surveillance cameras and crane shots) or mounted above vehicles.

History

[edit]

See also: Aerial reconnaissance § History

This section duplicates the scope of other articles, specifically Aerial reconnaissance#History. Please discuss this issue and help introduce a summary style to the section by replacing the section with a link and a summary or by splitting the content into a new article. (October 2020)

Early

[edit]

Aerial photography was first practiced by the French photographer and balloonist Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, known as "Nadar", in 1858 over Paris, France.^[3] However, the photographs he produced no longer exist and therefore the earliest surviving aerial photograph is titled 'Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It.' Taken by James Wallace Black and Samuel Archer King on October 13, 1860, it depicts Boston from a height of 630m.^[4][5]

Kite aerial photography was pioneered by British meteorologist E.D. Archibald in 1882. He used an explosive charge on a timer to take photographs from the air.^[6] The same year, Cecil Shadbolt devised a method of taking photographs from the basket of a gas balloon, including shots looking vertically downwards.^[7][8] One of his images, taken from 2,000 feet (610 m) over Stamford Hill, is the earliest extant aerial photograph taken in the British Isles.^[7] A print of the same image, An Instantaneous Map Photograph taken from the Car of a Balloon, 2,000 feet high, was shown at the 1882 Photographic Society exhibition.^[8]

Frenchman Arthur Batut began using kites for photography in 1888, and wrote a book on his methods in 1890.^[9][10] Samuel Franklin Cody developed his advanced 'Man-lifter War Kite' and succeeded in interesting the British War Office with its capabilities.

In 1908, Albert Samama Chikly filmed the first ever aerial views using a balloon between Hammam-Lif and Grombalia.^[11] The first use of a motion picture camera mounted to a heavier-than-air aircraft took place on April 24, 1909, over Rome in the 3:28 silent film short, Wilbur Wright und seine Flugmaschine.

World War I

[edit]

The use of aerial photography rapidly matured during the war, as reconnaissance aircraft were equipped with cameras to record enemy movements and defenses. At the start of the conflict, the usefulness of aerial photography was not fully appreciated, with reconnaissance being accomplished with map sketching from the air.

Germany adopted the first aerial camera, a Görz, in 1913. The French began the war with several squadrons of Blériot observation aircraft equipped with cameras for reconnaissance. The French Army developed procedures for getting prints into the hands of field commanders in record time.

Frederick Charles Victor Laws started aerial photography experiments in 1912 with No.1 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (later No. 1 Squadron RAF), taking photographs from the British dirigible Beta. He discovered that vertical photos taken with a 60% overlap could be used to create a stereoscopic effect when viewed in a stereoscope, thus creating a perception of depth that could aid in cartography and in intelligence derived from aerial images. The Royal Flying Corps recon pilots began to use cameras for recording their observations in 1914 and by the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915, the entire system of German trenches was being photographed.^[12] In 1916, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy made vertical camera axis aerial photos above Italy for map-making.

The first purpose-built and practical aerial camera was invented by Captain John Moore-Brabazon in 1915 with the help of the Thornton-Pickard company, greatly enhancing the efficiency of aerial photography. The camera was inserted into the floor of the aircraft and could be triggered by the pilot at intervals. Moore-Brabazon also pioneered the incorporation of stereoscopic techniques into aerial photography, allowing the height of objects on the landscape to be discerned by comparing photographs taken at different angles.^[13][14]

By the end of the war, aerial cameras had dramatically increased in size and focal power and were used increasingly frequently as they proved their pivotal military worth; by 1918, both sides were photographing the entire front twice a day and had taken over half a million photos since the beginning of the conflict. In January 1918, General Allenby used five Australian pilots from No. 1 Squadron AFC to photograph a 624 square miles (1,620 km²) area in Palestine as an aid to correcting and improving maps of the Turkish front. This was a pioneering use of aerial photography as an aid for cartography. Lieutenants Leonard Taplin, Allan Runciman Brown, H. L. Fraser, Edward Patrick Kenny, and L. W. Rogers photographed a block of land stretching from the Turkish front lines 32 miles (51 km) deep into their rear areas. Beginning 5 January, they flew with a fighter escort to ward off enemy fighters. Using Royal Aircraft Factory BE.12 and Martinsyde airplanes, they not only overcame enemy air attacks, but also had to contend with 65 mph (105 km/h) winds, antiaircraft fire, and malfunctioning equipment to complete their task.^[15]

Commercial

[edit]

The first commercial aerial photography company in the UK was Aerofilms Ltd, founded by World War I veterans Francis Wills and Claude Graham White in 1919. The company soon expanded into a business with major contracts in Africa and Asia as well as in the UK. Operations began from the Stag Lane Aerodrome at Edgware, using the aircraft of the London Flying School. Subsequently, the Aircraft Manufacturing Company (later the De Havilland Aircraft Company), hired an Airco DH.9 along with pilot entrepreneur Alan Cobham.^[16]

From 1921, Aerofilms carried out vertical photography for survey and mapping purposes. During the 1930s, the company pioneered the science of photogrammetry (mapping from aerial photographs), with the Ordnance Survey amongst the company's clients.^[17] In 1920, the Australian Milton Kent started using a half-plate oblique aero camera purchased from Carl Zeiss AG in his aerial photographic business.^[18]

Another successful pioneer of the commercial use of aerial photography was the American Sherman Fairchild who started with his own aircraft firm Fairchild Aircraft to develop and build specialized aircraft for high altitude aerial survey missions.^[19] One Fairchild aerial survey aircraft in 1935 carried a unit that combined two synchronized cameras. Utilizing two units of ten lenses each with a ten-inch lens, the aircraft took photos from 23,000 feet. Each photo covered two hundred and twenty-five square miles. One of its first government contracts was an aerial survey of New Mexico to study soil erosion.^[20] A year later, Fairchild introduced a better high altitude camera with a nine-lens in one unit that could take a photo covering 600 square miles with each exposure from 30,000 feet.^[21]

World War II

[edit]

In 1939, Sidney Cotton and Flying Officer Maurice Longbottom of the RAF were among the first to suggest that airborne reconnaissance may be a task better suited to fast, small aircraft which would use their speed and high service ceiling to avoid detection and interception. Although this seems obvious now, with modern reconnaissance tasks performed by fast, high flying aircraft, at the time it was radical thinking.^{[citation needed]}

They proposed the use of Spitfires with their armament and radios removed and replaced with extra fuel and cameras. This led to the development of the Spitfire PR variants. Spitfires proved to be extremely successful in their reconnaissance role and there were many variants built specifically for that purpose. They served initially with what later became No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU). In 1928, the RAF developed an electric heating system for the aerial camera. This allowed reconnaissance aircraft to take pictures from very high altitudes without the camera parts freezing.^[22] Based at RAF Medmenham, the collection and interpretation of such photographs became a considerable enterprise.^[23]

Cotton's aerial photographs were far ahead of their time. Together with other members of the 1 PRU, he pioneered the techniques of high-altitude, high-speed stereoscopic photography that were instrumental in revealing the locations of many crucial military and intelligence targets. According to R.V. Jones, photographs were used to establish the size and the characteristic launching mechanisms for both the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 rocket. Cotton also worked on ideas such as a prototype specialist reconnaissance aircraft and further refinements of photographic equipment. At the peak, the British flew over 100 reconnaissance flights a day, yielding 50,000 images per day to interpret. Similar efforts were taken by other countries.^{[citation needed]}

While stationed on an aircraft carrier in Imperial Japan, FS Hussain, a pilot in the Royal Indian Air Force, was tasked with photographing the aftermath of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.^[24] Unaware of the risks of exposure to radiation, it led to his death in 1969 at the age of 44.^[25]

Uses

[edit]

Vertical aerial photography is used in cartography^[26] (particularly in photogrammetric surveys, which are often the basis for topographic maps^[27][28]), land-use planning,^[26] aerial archaeology.^[26] Oblique aerial photography is used for movie production, environmental studies,^[29] power line inspection,^[30] surveillance, construction progress, commercial advertising, conveyancing, and artistic projects. An example of how aerial photography is used in the field of archaeology is the mapping project done at the site Angkor Borei in Cambodia from 1995 to 1996. Using aerial photography, archaeologists were able to identify archaeological features, including 112 water features (reservoirs, artificially constructed pools and natural ponds) within the walled site of Angkor Borei.^[31] In the United States, aerial photographs are used in many Phase I Environmental Site Assessments for property analysis.

Aircraft

[edit]

In the United States, except when necessary for take-off and landing, full-sized manned aircraft are prohibited from flying at altitudes under 1000 feet over congested areas and not closer than 500 feet from any person, vessel, vehicle or structure over non-congested areas. Certain exceptions are allowed for helicopters, powered parachutes and weight-shift-control aircraft.^[32]

Radio-controlled

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Advances in radio controlled models have made it possible for model aircraft to conduct low-altitude aerial photography. This had benefited real-estate advertising, where commercial and residential properties are the photographic subject. In 2014, the US Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of drones for photographs in real estate advertisements.^[33] The ban has been lifted and commercial aerial photography using drones of UAS is regulated under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.^[34][35] Commercial pilots have to complete the requirements for a Part 107 license,^[36] while amateur and non-commercial use is restricted by the FAA.^[37]

Small scale model aircraft offer increased photographic access to these previously restricted areas. Miniature vehicles do not replace full-size aircraft, as full-size aircraft are capable of longer flight times, higher altitudes, and greater equipment payloads. They are, however, useful in any situation in which a full-scale aircraft would be dangerous to operate. Examples would include the inspection of transformers atop power transmission lines and slow, low-level flight over agricultural fields, both of which can be accomplished by a large-scale radio-controlled helicopter. Professional-grade, gyroscopically stabilized camera platforms are available for use under such a model; a large model helicopter with a 26cc gasoline engine can hoist a payload of approximately seven kilograms (15 pounds). One example is the radio controlled Nitrohawk helicopter developed by Robert Channon between 1988 and 1998.^[38] In addition to gyroscopically stabilized footage, the use of RC copters as reliable aerial photography tools increased with the integration of FPV (first-person-view) technology. Many radio-controlled aircraft, in particular drones, are now capable of utilizing Wi-Fi to stream live video from the aircraft's camera back to the pilot's or pilot in command's (PIC) ground station.^[39]

Regulations

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In Australia, Civil Aviation Safety Regulation Part 101 (CASR Part 101)^[40] allows for commercial use of unmanned and remotely piloted aircraft. Under these regulations, unmanned remotely piloted aircraft for commercial are referred to as Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), whereas radio-controlled aircraft for recreational purposes are referred to as model aircraft. Under CASR Part 101, businesses/persons operating remotely piloted aircraft commercially are required to hold an operator certificate, just like manned aircraft operators. Pilots of remotely piloted aircraft operating commercially are also required to be licensed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).^[41] While a small RPAS and model aircraft may actually be identical, unlike model aircraft, a RPAS may enter controlled airspace with approval, and operate close to an aerodrome.

Due to a number of illegal operators in Australia, making false claims of being approved, CASA maintains and publishes a list of approved remote operator's certificate (ReOC) holders.^[42] However, CASA has modified the regulations and from September 29, 2016, drones under 2 kg (4.4 lb) may be operated for commercial purposes.^[43]

2006 FAA regulations grounding all commercial RC model flights have been upgraded to require formal FAA certification before permission is granted to fly at any altitude in the US.

On June 25, 2014, the FAA, in ruling 14 CFR Part 91 [Docket No. FAA–2014–0396] "Interpretation of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft", banned the commercial use of unmanned aircraft over U.S. airspace.^[44] On September 26, 2014, the FAA began granting the right to use drones in aerial filmmaking. Operators are required to be licensed pilots and must keep the drone in view at all times. Drones cannot be used to film in areas where people might be put at risk.^[45]

The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 established, in Section 336, a special rule for model aircraft. In Section 336, Congress confirmed the FAA's long-standing position that model aircraft are aircraft. Under the terms of the Act, a model aircraft is defined as "an unmanned aircraft" that is "(1) capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere; (2) flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft; and (3) flown for hobby or recreational purposes."^[46]

Because anything capable of being viewed from a public space is considered outside the realm of privacy in the United States, aerial photography may legally document features and occurrences on private property.^[47]

The FAA can pursue enforcement action against persons operating model aircraft who endanger the safety of the national airspace system: Public Law 112–95, section 336(b).^[33]

On June 21, 2016, the FAA released its summary of small unmanned aircraft rules (Part 107). The rules established guidelines for small UAS operators including operating only during the daytime, a 400 ft (120 m). ceiling and pilots must keep the UAS in visual range.^[48]

On April 7, 2017, the FAA announced special security instructions under 14 CFR § 99.7. Effective April 14, 2017, all UAS flights within 400 feet of the lateral boundaries of U.S. military installations are prohibited unless a special permit is secured from the base and/or the FAA.^[49]

Aerial photography in the UK has tight regulations as to where a drone is able to fly.^[50]

Aerial Photography on Light aircraft under 20 kg (44 lb). Basic Rules for non commercial flying Of a SUA (Small Unmanned Aircraft).

Article 241 Endangering safety of any person or property states that a person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property.

Article 94 mentions the following about small unmanned aircraft:

1. A person must not cause or permit any article or animal (whether or not attached to a parachute) to be dropped from a small unmanned aircraft so as to endanger persons or property.
2. The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft may only fly the aircraft if reasonably satisfied that the flight can safely be made.
3. The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must maintain direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purpose of avoiding collisions. (500 m (1,600 ft))
4. The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft which has a mass of more than 7 kg (15 lb) excluding its fuel but including any articles or equipment installed in or attached to the aircraft at the commencement of its flight, must not fly the aircraft:
   1. In Class A, C, D or E airspace unless the permission of the appropriate air traffic control unit has been obtained;
   2. Within an aerodrome traffic zone during the notified hours of watch of the air traffic control unit (if any) at that aerodrome unless the permission of any such air traffic control unit has been obtained;
   3. At a height of more than 400 feet above the surface
5. The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must not fly the aircraft for the purposes of commercial operations except in accordance with a permission granted by the CAA.

Article 95 has the following to say about small unmanned surveillance aircraft:

1. You Must not fly your aircraft over or within 150 metres of any congested Area.
2. Over or within 150 m (490 ft) of an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons.
3. Within 50 m (160 ft) of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft.
4. Within 50 m of any person, during take-off or landing, a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not be flown within 30 m (98 ft) of any person. This does not apply to the person in charge of the small unmanned surveillance aircraft or a person under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft.

Model aircraft with a mass of more than 20 kg are termed 'Large Model Aircraft' – within the UK, large model aircraft may only be flown in accordance with an exemption from the ANO, which must be issued by the CAA.

Photographs taken at an angle are called oblique photographs. If they are taken from a low angle relative to the earth's surface, they are called low oblique and photographs taken from a high angle are called high or steep oblique.^[51]

Vertical photographs are taken straight down.^[52] They are mainly used in photogrammetry and image interpretation. Pictures that will be used in photogrammetry are traditionally taken with special large format cameras with calibrated and documented geometric properties.

Aerial photographs are often combined. Depending on their purpose, it can be done in several ways, of which a few are listed below.

• Panoramas can be made by stitching several photographs taken in different angles from one spot (e.g. with a hand held camera) or from different spots at the same angle (e.g. from a plane).
• Stereo photography techniques allow for the creation of 3D-images from several photographs of the same area taken from different spots.
• In pictometry, five rigidly mounted cameras provide one vertical and four low oblique pictures that can be used together.
• In some digital cameras, for aerial photogrammetry images from several imaging elements, sometimes with separate lenses, are geometrically corrected and combined to one image in the camera.

Vertical photographs are often used to create orthophotos, alternatively known as orthophotomaps, photographs which have been geometrically "corrected" so as to be usable as a map. In other words, an orthophoto is a simulation of a photograph taken from an infinite distance, looking straight down to nadir. Perspective must obviously be removed, but variations in terrain should also be corrected for. Multiple geometric transformations are applied to the image, depending on the perspective and terrain corrections required on a particular part of the image.

Orthophotos are commonly used in geographic information systems, such as are used by mapping agencies (e.g. Ordnance Survey) to create maps. Once the images have been aligned, or "registered", with known real-world coordinates, they can be widely deployed.

Large sets of orthophotos, typically derived from multiple sources and divided into "tiles" (each typically 256 x 256 pixels in size), are widely used in online map systems such as Google Maps. OpenStreetMap offers the use of similar orthophotos for deriving new map data. Google Earth overlays orthophotos or satellite imagery onto a digital elevation model to simulate 3D landscapes.

Aerial photography may be labeled as either "leaf-off" or on "leaf-on" to indicate whether deciduous foliage is in the photograph. Leaf-off photographs show less foliage or no foliage at all, and are used to see the ground and things on the ground more closely. Leaf-on photographs are used to measure crop health and yield. For forestry purposes, some species of trees are easier to distinguish from other kinds of trees with leaf-off photography, while other species are easier to distinguish with leaf-on photography.^[53]

With advancements in video technology, aerial video is becoming more popular. Orthogonal video is shot from aircraft mapping pipelines, crop fields, and other points of interest. Using GPS, video may be embedded with meta data and later synced with a video mapping program.

This "Spatial Multimedia" is the timely union of digital media including still photography, motion video, stereo, panoramic imagery sets, immersive media constructs, audio, and other data with location and date-time information from the GPS and other location designs.

Aerial videos are emerging Spatial Multimedia which can be used for scene understanding and object tracking. The input video is captured by low flying aerial platforms and typically consists of strong parallax from non-ground-plane structures. The integration of digital video, global positioning systems (GPS) and automated image processing will improve the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of data collection and reduction. Several different aerial platforms are under investigation for the data collection.

In film production, it is common to use a unmanned aerial vehicle with a mounted cine camera.^[54] For example, the AERIGON cinema drone is used for low aerial shots in big blockbuster movies.^[55]

Concepts and methods

Equipment and technology

Individuals, organizations, and history

• Price, Alfred (2003). Targeting the Reich: Allied Photographic Reconnaissance over Europe, 1939–1945. [S.l.]: Military Book Club. N.B.: First published 2003 by Greenhill Books, London. ISBN 0-7394-3496-9

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aerial photography.

Look up aerial photography in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Aerial Photography: An Overview on YouTube, from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 

Burj Khalifa
برج خليفة
The Burj Khalifa viewed across the Dubai Fountain in October 2012
Interactive map of the Burj Khalifa area
Record height
Tallest in the world since 2009 [I]
Preceded by	Taipei 101
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Mixed-use
Architectural style	Neo-futurism
Location	1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai, Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Named for	Sheikh Khalifa
Construction started	6 January 2004; 22 years ago (2004-01-06)
Topped-out	17 January 2009; 17 years ago (2009-01-17)
Completed	1 October 2009; 16 years ago (2009-10-01)
Opened	4 January 2010; 16 years ago (2010-01-04)
Cost	US$1.5 billion
Owner	Emaar Properties
Height
Architectural	828 m (2,717 ft)
Tip	829.8 m (2,722 ft)
Antenna spire	242.5 m (796 ft)
Roof	739.4 m (2,426 ft)
Top floor	585.4 m (1,921 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 m2 (3,331,100 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators	57 (mall included)
Design and construction
Architect	Adrian Smith
Architecture firm	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Structural engineer	Bill Baker
Main contractor	Samsung C&T BESIX Arabtec
Other information
Parking	2 subterranean levels
Public transit access	M1  At Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall
Website
burjkhalifa.ae
References
[1]

The Burj Khalifa^[a] (known as the Burj Dubai before its inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it is the world's tallest structure, with a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but including a 242.6 m spire)^[2] of 828 m (2,717 ft). It has also been the tallest building in the world since its topping out in 2009, surpassing Taipei 101, which had held the record for a half-decade.^[3][4]

Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004; the exterior was completed five years later. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. Some of the structural steel for the building was salvaged from the demolished Palace of the Republic in East Berlin.^[5] The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. It was designed to be the centerpiece of large-scale, mixed-use development.

The building is named after the former president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.^[6] The United Arab Emirates government provided Dubai with financial support as the developer, Emaar Properties, experienced financial problems during the Great Recession. Then-president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed, organized federal financial support. For his support, Mohammad bin Rashid, Ruler of Dubai, changed the name from "Burj Dubai" to "Burj Khalifa" during inauguration.

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 optimise residential and hotel space. A buttressed central core and wings are used to support the height of the building. The Burj Khalifa's central core houses all vertical transportation except egress stairs within each of the wings.^[7] The structure also features a cladding system which is designed to withstand Dubai's hot summer temperatures.^[8] It contains a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators.

Development

[edit]

Construction began on 12 January 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010^[9][10] and is part of the 2 km² (490 acres) Downtown Dubai development at the 'First Interchange' along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district.^{[citation needed]}

The tower's architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago, with Adrian Smith as chief architect, and Bill Baker as a chief structural engineer.^[11][12] The firm had designed the Sears Tower in Chicago, a previous record holder for the world's tallest building.^[13]

Hyder Consulting was supervising engineer and NORR Group Consultants supervised the architecture. The primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea, together with the Belgian group BESIX and the local company Arabtec.^[14]

Numerous complaints concerned migrant workers from South Asia, the primary building labour force, who were paid low wages and sometimes had their passports confiscated.^[15]

Conception

[edit]

Burj Khalifa was designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development to include 30,000 homes,^[16] nine hotels (including The Address Downtown Dubai), 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential skyscrapers, 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, projects like Burj Khalifa needed to be built 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.^[17]

The tower was known as Burj Dubai ("Dubai Tower") until its official opening in January 2010.^[18] It was renamed in honour of the ruler of Abu Dhabi, 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.^[18] In the 2000s, Dubai started diversifying its economy but it suffered from the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession, leaving large-scale projects already in construction abandoned.^[19]

Records

[edit]

The Burj Khalifa set several world records, including:

• 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)^[20]
• 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)^[21]
• World's highest elevator installation (situated inside a rod at the very top of the building)^[22]
• World's longest travel distance elevators: 504 m (1,654 ft)^[22][23]
• Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft)^[24]
• World's tallest structure that includes residential space^[25]
• World's highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade: 512 m (1,680 ft)^[26]
• 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)^[27]
• World's highest New Year display of fireworks.^[28]
• World's largest light and sound show staged on a single building.^[29][30][31]

Architecture and design

[edit]

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.^[32][33] Due to its tubular system, proportionally only half the amount of steel was used in the construction, compared to the Empire State Building.^[32][34] 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.^[35] 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 and thought, "There's the prototype".^[36] 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.^[37]

After 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.^[38] Hyder was selected for their expertise in structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) engineering.^[39] 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.^[38] NORR's role was the supervision of all architectural components including on-site supervision during the construction and design of a 6-storey 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,^[40] 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.^[22] 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 it rises and creating convenient outdoor terraces. These setbacks are arranged and aligned in a way that minimizes vibration wind loading from eddy currents and vortices.^[7] 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).^[41]

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.^[42] This 244-metre (801 ft) spire is widely considered vanity height, since very little of its space is usable. Without the spire, Burj Khalifa would be 585 metres (1,919 ft) 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".^[2] Such a skyscraper, if located in Europe, would be the 11th tallest building on that continent.^[43]

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.^[44]

The cladding system consists of 142,000 m² (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.^[42] 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 m² (1,870,000 sq ft) in area.^{[citation needed]} The Burj's typical curtain wall panels measure 4 ft 6 in (1.4 m) wide by 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m) high and weigh about 800 pounds (360 kg) each, with wider panels near the building's edges and taller ones near the top.^[45]

The exterior temperature at the top of the building is thought to be 6 °C (11 °F) cooler than at its base.^{[46][needs update]}

A 304-room Armani Hotel, the first of 4 by Armani, occupies 15 of the lower 39 floors.^[3][47] The hotel was supposed to open on 18 March 2010,^[48][49] but after several delays, it finally opened to the public on 27 April 2010.^[50] The corporate suites and offices were also supposed to open from March onwards,^[51] 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.^[52] Floors 20 through 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 the 122nd, 123rd, and 124th, 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 in February 2010.^[52][53]

The building has 57 elevators and 8 escalators.^[42] The elevators have a capacity of 12 to 14 people per cabin, and include the world's fastest double-deck elevators, rising and descending at up to 10 m/s (33 ft/s). Engineers initially considered installing the world's first triple-deck elevators.^[25] The double-deckers are equipped with LCD displays to amuse visitors during their travel to the observation deck.^[54] The building has 2,909 stairs from the ground floor to the 160th floor.^[55]

Plumbing systems

[edit]

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.^[22][56] 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.^[56]

Air conditioning

[edit]

The air conditioning system draws air from the upper floors where the air is cooler and cleaner than on the ground.^[57] At peak cooling times, the tower's cooling is 46 MW (62,000 hp), equivalent to that provided by 13,000 short tons (26,000,000 lb; 12,000,000 kg) of melting ice in one day.^[56] Water is collected via a condensate collection system and is used to irrigate the nearby park.^[22]

Window cleaning

[edit]

To wash the 24,348 windows, totaling 120,000 m² (1,290,000 ft²) of glass, the building has three horizontal tracks, 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.^[58][59] Under normal conditions, when all building maintenance units are operational, it takes 36 workers three to four months to clean the entire exterior.^[42][60]

Unmanned machines clean the top 27 additional tiers and the glass spire. The cleaning system was developed in Melbourne, Australia, by CoxGomyl, a manufacturer of building maintenance units,^[61] at a cost of A$8 million.^[60]

Features

[edit]

Fountain

[edit]

Main article: The Dubai Fountain

Outside the Burj Khalifa, 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 while accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and other music. It is the world's largest choreographed fountain.^[62] On 26 October 2008, Emaar announced that based on results of a naming contest the fountain would be called the Dubai Fountain.^[63]

Observation deck

[edit]

An outdoor observation deck, named At the Top, opened on 5 January 2010 on the 124th floor, at 452 m (1,483 ft).^[64] It opened the 148th floor SKY level at 555 m (1,821 ft), giving it the highest observation deck in the world on 15 October 2014.^[65][66] However, in June 2016 the Shanghai Tower opened with an observation deck at a height of 561 metres, thus taking the title of the world's highest observation deck. Subsequently, the Burj Khalifa reclaimed the record on February 18, 2019, when it opened The Lounge observatory at 585 m (1,919 ft), which is also the highest lounge in the world.^[67]

The Burj Khalifa's 124th floor observation deck also features a so-called 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.^[68][69][70] To reduce the daily rush of sightseers, management allows visitors to purchase tickets in advance for a specific date and time, at a 75% discount on tickets purchased on the spot.^[71]

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.^{[72][73][74][75][76]}

When the tide is low and visibility is high, people can see the shores of Iran (which is around 153 km or 95 mi away) from the top of the skyscraper.^[77]

Burj Khalifa is surrounded by an eleven-hectare (27-acre) park designed by landscape architects SWA Group.^[78] Like the tower, the park's design was based on the flower of the Hymenocallis, a desert plant.^[79] 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.^[80]

The plants are watered by water collected from the building's cooling system. The system provides 68,000,000 L (18,000,000 US gal) annually.^[80] WET Enterprises, who also developed the Dubai Fountain, developed the park's six water features.^[81]

Floors	Purpose[42][82]	Dimetric projection with floors colour-coded by function[83]
160–163	Mechanical
156–159	Communication and broadcast
155	Mechanical
152–154	The Lounge observatory
149–151	Corporate suites
148	At the Top Sky 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, Lobby
Concourse	Armani Hotel, Lobby
B1–B2	Parking, Mechanical

On the higher floors, the sun is seen for several minutes after it has set at ground level. Those living above the 80th floor should wait two extra minutes to break their Ramadan fast, and those living above the 150th floor should wait three minutes.^[84]

The tower was constructed by Samsung C&T from South Korea, which also did work on the Petronas Twin Towers and Taipei 101.^[85] Samsung C&T built the tower in a joint venture with BESIX from Belgium and Arabtec from the UAE.^[86][87] Turner was the project manager on the main construction contract.^[88] Hong Kong-based Far East Aluminium combined to provide the exterior cladding for Burj Khalifa.^[89][90]

The contractor and the engineer of record was Hyder Consulting.^[91] 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.^[24] Burj Khalifa's construction used 330,000 m³ (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.^[11] In May 2008 Putzmeister pumped concrete with more than 21 MPA ultimate compressive strength of gravel to surpass the 600 metres weight of the effective area of each column from the foundation to the next 4th 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),^[24] the 156th floor. Three tower cranes were used during the construction of the uppermost levels, each capable of lifting a 25-tonne load.^[92] 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.^[93] "Weak to very weak sandstone and siltstone" was found, just metres below the surface.^[94] Samples were taken from test holes drilled to a depth of 140 metres, finding weak to very weak rock all the way.^[95] The study described the site as part of a "seismically active area".^{[citation needed]} Another challenging element was the shamal which often creates sandstorms.^[20]

Over 45,000 m³ (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.^[25] 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 which is 30 MPa which yielded 450 sq. metres of vertical normal effective area, which then yielded 12 metres by 12 metres dimensions.^[96] A cathodic protection system is under the concrete to neutralise the sulphate and chloride-rich groundwater and prevent corrosion.^[42][20]

During the construction of the Burj Khalifa, over 35,000 tonnes of structural steel was obtained from the Palace of the Republic in Berlin, which had served as the parliament building for the Volkskammer of the former East Germany. The steel was shipped to Dubai after the Palace's demolition was completed in 2008.^[5]

The Burj Khalifa is highly compartmentalised. Pressurised, air-conditioned refuge floors are located every 13 floors (on 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.^[42][97]

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.^[98]

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.^{[99][100][101][102][103]}

• January 2004: Excavation commences.^[26]
• February 2004: Piling starts.^[26]
• 21 September 2004: Emaar contractors begin construction.^[104]
• March 2005: Structure of Burj Khalifa starts rising.^[26]
• June 2006: Level 50 is reached.^[26]
• 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.^[26][105]
• 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.^[26][106]
• 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.^[26][107]
• 7 April 2008: At 629 m (2,064 ft), surpasses the KVLY-TV Mast to become the tallest human-made structure, level 160 reached.^[26][108]
• 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.^[109]
• 1 September 2008: Height tops 688 m (2,257 ft), making it the tallest human-made structure ever built, surpassing the previous record-holder, the Warsaw Radio Mast in Konstantynów, Poland.^[110]
• 17 January 2009: Topped out at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).^[111]
• 1 October 2009: Emaar announces that the exterior of the building is completed.^[112]
• 4 January 2010: Burj Khalifa's official launch ceremony is held and Burj Khalifa is opened. Burj Dubai was renamed Burj Khalifa in honour of the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan.^[4]
• 10 March 2010: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat certifies Burj Khalifa as world's tallest building.^[113]

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).^[114] He estimated the total cost for the project to be about US$1.5 billion.^[6]

The project's completion coincided with the Great Recession, and with vast overbuilding in the country, leading to high vacancies and foreclosures.^[115] 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.^[4][116]

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.^[117][118] Over the next 30 months, overseas investors steadily bought up available apartments and office space.^[119] By October 2012, Emaar reported that around 80% of the apartments were occupied.^[120]

The ceremony was broadcast live on a giant screen on Burj Park Island and on smaller screens elsewhere.^[121] Hundreds of media outlets from around the world reported live from the scene.^[122] In addition to the media presence, 6,000 guests were expected.^[123]

The opening was held on 4 January 2010.^[124] The ceremony featured a display of 10,000 fireworks, light beams projected on and around the tower, and further sound, light and water effects.^[122] The celebratory lighting was designed by UK lighting designers Speirs and Major Associates.^[125] 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.^{[citation needed]}

On 10 May 2011, an Asian migrant worker in his mid-30s jumped to his death from the 147th floor onto the 108th floor's deck. Dubai police said he killed himself because his company refused to let him leave the country.^[126]

On 18 May 2015, Dubai police disputed a report that a Portuguese tourist named Laura Vanessa Nunes fell to her death from the Burj Khalifa the prior 16 November, claiming that she fell from the Jumeirah Lake Towers.^[127][128] Nine News obtained emails from Portugal's embassy in the UAE under freedom of information laws, which indicated that the female tourist jumped from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa.^[129]

The Burj Khalifa was built primarily by workers from South Asia and East Asia.^[130][131] This is generally because the current generation of UAE locals prefer governmental jobs and do not have an attitude favouring private sector employment.^[132][133] On 17 June 2008, there were about 7,500 skilled workers employed at the construction site.^[109] Press reports indicated in 2006 that skilled carpenters at the site earned £4.34 a day, and labourers earned £2.84.^[130] 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.^{[134][135][136]} During construction, one construction-related death was reported.^[137] Workplace injuries and deaths in the UAE are poorly documented, according to Human Rights Watch.^[134]

In 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.^[130] A Dubai Interior Ministry official said the rioters caused almost £500,000 in damage.^[130] Most of the workers involved in the riot returned the following day but refused to work.^[130]

Emaar New Year's Eve is an annual event held every 31 December at Burj Khalifa, organised by Emaar Properties.^[138][139] The event consists of fireworks launched from Burj Khalifa, a light and laser show on the facade of Burj Khalifa, and an accompanying soundtrack and a special fountain show on The Dubai Fountain choreographed to the soundtrack.^[140][141] The Emaar New Year's Eve fireworks celebration originated in 2010 with the inauguration of the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa. The celebration was broadcast live to more than 2 million people and lasted for 3 minutes.^[142]

Since 2011, national live broadcasting rights have been held by Dubai Media Incorporated and Dubai TV.^[142]

Emaar New Year's Eve has won two Guinness World Records, including "Largest LED-Illuminated Facade" in 2015 and 2019.^{[143][144][145]}

In 2017 and 2018, Emaar New Year's Eve was broadcast live on Twitter,^[146][147] and YouTube. In 2020, it was broadcast live for the first time on Zoom.^[148]

In 2021, Emaar celebrated solidarity in honour of frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[149]

For the 2022 event, a laser feature was installed on The Dubai Fountain in sync with the Burj Khalifa's laser and fireworks show.^[150]

The building has been used by several experienced BASE jumpers for authorised and unauthorised BASE jumping:

In May 2008, Hervé Le Gallou and David McDonnell, dressed as engineers, entered Burj Khalifa (around 650 metres (2,130 ft) at the time), and jumped off a balcony situated several floors below the 160th floor.^[151][152]

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.^[153][154]

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).^{[155][156][157]}

On 28 March 2011, Alain "Spiderman" Robert scaled the outside of Burj Khalifa. The climb to the top of the spire took 6 hours. To comply with UAE safety laws, Robert, who usually climbs in free solo style, used a rope and harness.^[158]

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.^[159] On 28 September 2010 Burj Khalifa won the award for the best project of the year at the Middle East Architect Awards 2010.^[160] 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 apt title for it.^[161]

Burj Khalifa was also the recipient of the following awards.^[162][163]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Burj Khalifa (category)

• Official website
• "The Burj Dubai Tower Wind Engineering" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2026. (597 KB) (Structure magazine, June 2006)
• "The Wind Engineering of the Burj Dubai Tower" (PDF). Archived from the original on 14 September 2017.cite web: 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
• Geographic data related to Burj Khalifa at OpenStreetMap

25°11′50″N 55°16′27″E / 25.1972°N 55.2742°E / 25.1972; 55.2742

For the hotel chain, see Jumeirah (hotel chain).

Community in Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jumeirah جُمَيْرَا
Community
Jumeirah Fishing Harbour
Interactive map of Jumeirah
Coordinates: 25°12′07″N 55°14′38″E / 25.202°N 55.244°E / 25.202; 55.244
Country	United Arab Emirates
Emirate	Emirate of Dubai
City	Dubai
Boroughs	List Jumeirah 1 Jumeirah 2 Jumeirah 3
Area
• Total	6.9 km2 (2.7 sq mi)
Population  (2024)[1]
• Total	47,319
• Density	6,900/km2 (18,000/sq mi)

Jumeirah (Arabic: جُمَيْرَا, romanized: Jumayrā Emirati pronunciation: [dʒʊˈmeːrɐ]) is a coastal residential area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates mainly comprising low rise private dwellings and hotel developments. It has both large expensive detached properties and more modest town houses built in a variety of architectural styles. The area is popular with expatriates working in Dubai and is familiar to many visiting tourists.

History

[edit]

Archaeological excavations at Jumeirah Archaeological Site,^[2][3][4] which was discovered in 1969, demonstrate that the area was inhabited as far back as the Abbasid era, approximately in the 10th century CE. Measuring about 80,000 m² (860,000 sq ft), the site lay along a caravan route linking India and China to Oman and Iraq.^[2][3][4]

Historically, Emirati people living in Jumeirah were fishermen, pearl divers and traders. At the turn of the 20th century, it was a village of some 45 areesh (palm leaf) huts, inhabited mainly by settled Bedouin of the Bani Yas and Manasir tribes. At the time, Jumeirah was 'about 3 miles southwest of Dibai town'.^[5]

In modern times (1960 onwards), Jumeirah was the principal area for western expatriate residences. The beachfront area was previously called "Chicago Beach",^[6] as the site of the former Chicago Beach Hotel.^[7] The locale's peculiar name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tankers called "Kazzans" on the site.^[6] The old name persisted for a time after the old hotel was demolished in 1997. "Dubai Chicago Beach Hotel" was the Public Project Name for the construction phase of the Burj Al Arab Hotel until Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the new name: Burj Al Arab.^[7]

The Theatre of Digital Art (ToDA) opened in 2020 at Souk Madinat in Jumeirah as an exhibition space for digital art.^[8]

• Jumeirah Beach
• Jumeirah Beach Hotel
• Jumeira Baccalaureate School
• Palm Jumeirah
• Jumeirah Mosque
• City Walk

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jumeirah.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Dubai/Jumeirah.

Archaeological site

• Jumeirah Archaeological Site, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
• Lonelyplanet website

Majlis Ghorfat Umm Al-Sheif

• Majlis Ghorfat Umm Al Sheif, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority