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"Burj Dubai" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Bur Dubai, a district of Dubai. Burj Khalifa برج خليفة Burj Khalifa.jpg The Burj Khalifa in October 2012 Former names Burj Dubai Record height Tallest in the world since 2009[I] Preceded by Taipei 101 General information Type Mixed-use Architectural style Neo-futurism Location 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Coordinates 25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″ECoordinates: 25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″E Construction started 6 January 2004 Completed 30 December 2009 Opening 4 January 2010[1] Cost USD $ 1.5 billion[2] Height Architectural 828 m (2,717 ft)[3] Tip 829.8 m (2,722 ft)[3] Roof 828 m (2,717 ft) Top floor 584.5 m (1,918 ft) (Level 154)[3] Observatory 555.7 m (1,823 ft) (Level 148)[3] Technical details Floor count 154 usable floors[3][4] plus 9 maintenance levels, 46 spire levels,[5] and 2 below-ground parking levels Floor area 309,473 m2 (3,331,100 sq ft)[3] Lifts/elevators 57 (55 single deck and 2 double deck), made by Otis Elevator Company Design and construction Architect Adrian Smith at SOM Developer Emaar Properties[3] Structural engineer Bill Baker at SOM[6] Main contractor Samsung C&T Corporation, Besix and Arabtec Supervision Consultant Engineer & Architect of Record Hyder Consulting Construction Project Manager Turner Construction Grocon[7] Planning Bauer AG and Middle East Foundations[7] Lift contractor Otis[7] VT consultant Lerch Bates[7] Website www.burjkhalifa.ae Burj Khalifa (Arabic: برج خليفة‎, "Khalifa Tower", pronounced English /ˈbɜːrdʒ kəˈliːfə/), known as Burj Dubai before its inauguration, is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest artificial structure in the world, standing at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).[3][8] Construction of Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. The building opened in 2010, as part of the new development called Downtown Dubai. It is designed to be the centerpiece of large-scale, mixed-use development. The decision to build the building is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was named in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records. Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith then of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), whose firm also designed the Willis Tower and the One World Trade Center. Hyder Consulting was chosen to be the supervising engineer with NORR Group Consultants International Limited chosen to supervise the architecture of the project. The design of Burj Khalifa is derived from patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, incorporating cultural and historical elements particular to the region such as the spiral minaret. The Y-shaped plan is designed for residential and hotel usage. A buttressed core structural system is used to support the height of the building, and the cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's summer temperatures. A total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators are installed, with the elevators having a capacity of 12 to 14 people per cabin. Critical reception to Burj Khalifa has been generally positive, and the building received many awards. However, the labor issues during construction have been controversial, since the building was built primarily by workers from South Asia and East Asia, who earned low wages and were reportedly housed in poor conditions