Call it impressive or call it preposterous, there’s no denying that the Burj Khalifa is a ground-breaking feat of architecture and engineering. The world’s tallest building pierces the sky at 828m (seven times the height of Big Ben) and opened on 4 January 2010, only six years after excavations began. Up to 13,000 workers toiled day and night, at times putting up a new floor in as little as three days. Inside Dubai’s own ‘Tower of Babel’ is a mix of offices and apartments; the building is also home to Armani Hotel – the world’s first hotel to be designed and developed by Giorgio Armani.
For visitors, the main attraction is the observation deck on the 124th floor. From such lofty heights you can easily pinpoint the offshore developments and other landmarks. Getting to the deck means passing various multimedia exhibits until a double-decker lift whisks you up at 10m per second. When you reach level 124, you’re a lofty 442m in the air. Reserved time-stamped tickets are available at the ticket office and online; ponying up Dh400 lets you go straight through.
