Dubai, CTBUH 2008 Dubai Congress - Adrian Smith, "Designing the Burj Dubai"

Tuesday, 4th March 2008. Dubai, UAE. Adrian Smith, founding partner of Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill, discussed the design process of Burj Dubai with the audience of the CTBUH 8th World Congress in Dubai. When completed in 2009, the Burj Dubai will be the tallest building in the world and a new landmark for Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. The tower's organic form was derived from the culture and landscape of the region, strongly connecting the building to the surrounding context. A mixed-use tower, the Burj Dubai features an efficient Y-shaped floor plan that maximizes views of the city of Dubai. The tower also addresses environmental concerns and features an innovative condensation collection system. This presentation also offered insights into the refinement and development of the design in response to programmatic requirements, structural wind-tunnel testing and other issues related to the design of a country's landmark and the world's tallest structure.