That's tall!
And since no one has made anything that tall, its architecture is pretty theoretical. It could just topple over any day. Plus, since it’s in the Middle East, basically terrorists now have a new target with a much smaller commute. Actually, I wonder if this was America’s idea. “Hey, terrorists, look at this big shiny thing to attack… far, far away from America.”
So what’s going to be in the building? I guess a bunch of offices. What do they need offices for in the Middle East? Are they just filled with people on the phone saying, “Drill more oil! That’s how we make money here in the Middle East! And by the way… jooooooos!!!”
Of course, I’m probably just making fun because I’m jealous. I don’t have a building that tall.
Overcompensation.
The building will mostly be empty. It was not built with a specific purpose like “We need more office space, let’s build a building so we can meet the demand and lease it out.” The government built it and now with the economic downturn it will be even emptier than originally planned. David Szondy at Epheral Isle has the following to say about the building:
“For me, the Burj is a perfect symbol of the new Dubai; it’s ambitious, expensive, designed by foreigners, built by foreigners, intended to attract foreign investors, and will probably stand empty until it finds its niche as a white elephant that makes its money by being sold as a white elephant from one gullible investor to the next.
The tower has been renamed Burj Khalifa after the president of the United Arab Emirates. Not surprising, since he was the one signing Dubai’s bailout cheques. Beats Burj Big Wilf Down The Rose & Crown, I suppose.”
You could fit a lot of camels in that thing.
Good news: nobody will inhabit that building because it will be terrible when it catches on fire. Even still, I hope Dubai has lots of parachutes available.
Building envy?
I’ve wondered for some time now that since 911 and the attempt on the Sears Tower that the islamic-type nations have begun building super tall buildings. “Not only did we get yours, we have ours, too.” not sure if this was intentional, but still….
And is there a Dubai answer to Paul Newman and Steve McQueen? Hmmm… Irwin allen, where are you when we need you.
Fianl thought…how long before Pon Raul or Al Gore minions fly a airplane into it?
Wasn’t there a movie years ago called The Towering Inferno? That building sure looks like that could very well be a modern inferno. Hope their fire codes are current.
Who’s Guy Wire? Was that the reporter dude on Sesame Street? Where does he get off supporting buildings?
Yes, it’s tall. Its only purpose is to be tall. And that it is!
lobby signs
floor 12 Mail-room, anthrax shipping and receiving
floor 37 Death to the Infidel, HR
floor 42 Death to US/Israel signs protest signs
floor 72 Suicide-vests and underwear production
floor 77 Global caliphate conquerors map and war room
sounds like they’re over compensating.
They’re building a ladder to Heaven, to find their friend Kenny.
Wow, that’s one heck of a sundial.
If it falls, and no one’s there, will it make a sound?
Lets buy it at bankruptcy prices and then fill it with illegal aliens. They’ll never get back here from there. After living neck deep with middle east Arabs well see how they feel about Americans.
thats a big building, I wonder what the Globull warming extremist think about it?
It has 800 private apartments, which sold out the same day they became available (according to the linked article) which means Someone still has bucks to spend on status symbols.
It has a swimming pool on the 76th floor and a mosque on the 158th floor, robot window cleaners and the worlds fastest elevators. (I don’t care who ya are, that’s pretty dang cool, right there.)
It was started in 2004 and finished 5 years later at a cost of 1.5 billion dollars.
The World Trade Center went down in 2001.
Is there really any Good reason why we couldn’t have built a 3000 ft tall giant-fist-flipping-the-bird-at-our-enemies shaped building on the site in the 8.5 years since? (sigh)
40f7, when we spend money on giant-fist-flipping-the-bird-at-our-enemies themed stuff, we build Virginia class submarines. Not skyscrapers. Skyscrapers are so early 1900s.
Sorry, A-rabs. We’ve been there and done that.
#18 – MarkoMancuso,
Thanks! I feel better now.
It’s not the size that counts, Frank.
I declare this building to be female. She needs to have a burkha on her.
Did they say if it had an actual street address? I wonder if the reason that Dubai has so many uniquely crazy (and awesome) buildings is simply to find where the heck you are in a city that has no official addressing system. (or a good sewage system for that matter…advice to tourists: avoid the beaches)
It may end up with some trouble filling vacancies. I understand that the Dubai real estate market has taken a pretty big kick in the rear in the last few years.
note to self:
tallest building in mooslim country. the one named for Scooby.
So, not learning from history example 646977864164679465497744987416489 or there about. I guess no one in Dubai ever heard of the Tower of Babylon. While I realize many people think of the Bible as a quaint, fairy tale (without faries of course) there are reasons for the accounts. But go ahead and keep spitting in the wind, it’s always worked out so well in the past.