What Is The Tallest Building In The World

For nearly 25 years the Sears Tower held its rank as the tallest building in the world. That all changed in 1998 when the Petronas Towers were built in Malaysia. Since then there has been an explosion of tall buildings going up around the globe, each looking to seize the throne as the tallest ever. However, in 2010 one building stood above the rest, the Burj Khalifa.

The Burj Khalifa is the name of the world’s tallest building. Constructed from 2004 to 2010 the tower officially opened on January 4, 2010. Logically, the tower stands in the richest city on Earth, Dubai. The Burj Khalifa stands at a record 2,717 feet (828 meters). That is an astounding 1050 feet taller than the next tallest building in the world. With nothing in the works to surpass it, the Burj Khalifa may stand as the world’s tallest building for many years to come. 

The Burj Khalifa is the highlight of what is known as “Downtown Dubai” in the United Arab Emirates. Located near Dubai’s main business district, the tower overshadows everything in sight, a privilege that comes at a price. The entire project was quoted as costing 1.5 billion US dollars, while the entire “Downtown Dubai” development was estimated at twenty billion US dollars. According to Ali Alabbar, the chairman of Emaar Properties (the project’s developer), the office space pricing in the Burj Khalifa has reached 4,000 US dollars per square foot.  The fact that the project was finished during a global financial crisis has led to a high number of vacancies in the building.  In fact, at almost one year after its opening 825 out of the 900 available apartments within the Burj Khalifa were empty.    

For the early part of the 21st century Dubai has been known for its extravagance and vast overbuilding.  The Burj Khalifa is a prime example of this. Not only is it the tallest building in the world but it is also one of the most beautiful, even if it is far more than what is necessary.