Architecture and structural engineering have advanced so rapidly in the last two decades that towering skyscrapers are now a common sight in many of the world's largest and wealthiest cities.
But there is an even higher distinction that comes with owning the world's tallest structure.
The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, surpassed the Sears Tower as the world's tallest office structure in March 1996. Stainless steel pinnacles 73.5 meters (241 feet) long were installed atop the 88-story towers, raising their height to 451.9 meters (1,482 ft 8 in). Then, in 2003, Taiwan's Taipei 101 (also known as the Taipei Financial Centre) won the record with a massive 508-metre height (1,666 ft). Construction on the Burj Khalifa began just one year later.
source
Emaar Properties and the architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, led by famous American architect Adrian Smith, collaborated on the tall structure. With a height of 828 meters (2,716 feet 6 inches), this new skyscraper would soon be referred to as a "vertical metropolis" and become an emblem of the contemporary world. People all around the world were wondering if it was really feasible to build a skyscraper so tall - and that was when the Burj was supposed to be 'just' 518 meters tall, 10 meters taller than the Taipei 101.
It really expanded by 310 meters throughout the design phase, which is around the height of France's Eiffel Tower.
#blurt #blurtlife #burjkhalifa #building #highest #world #blog #tallest