Maryam
Alsaqran
Jeff
Klepper
English
113B
November
7th, 2013
The vertical city
Khalifa tower is the highest tower in the
world and it is located in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai. This tower named
Khalifa tower relative to the name of the president khalifa Alnahyan. This
place is not a tower only, but also, it is a city because it includes the city
elements such as, shopping center, institutions, library, hotels, and
residential units. And based on the official website of khalifa tower, “Burj
Khalifa lifts the world's head proudly skywards, surpassing limits and
expectations. Rising gracefully from the desert and honouring Dubai with a new
glow. Burj Khalifa is at the heart of Dubai and its people; the centre for the
world's finest shopping,
dining
and entertainment
and home for the world's elite.”( burjkhalifa 1); I would like just to clarify
that the word “burj” , an Arabic word, means tower in English. Khalifa tower featured
in an amazing architecture and design; in addition to the different facilities
it includes.
Khalifa tower has a very unique shape, not only because it
is the highest human made skyscrapers; but also, because it designed in a
distinctively by professional engineers and architects. Also, according “It is an understatement to say that Burj
Khalifa represents the state-of-the-art in building design. From initial
concept through completion, acombination
of several important technological innovations and innovation structural design
methods have resulted in a superstructure that is both efficient and robust.” (burjkhalifa
2). It considered as the most sophisticated and luxury spot in the United Arab
Emirates. It is clothed with silver and gray glass, which reflects the
sunlight, and makes the tower seem as a huge piece of bright and shiny diamond.
Moreover, it looks like some glassy pipelines connected to each other and
ranged in length, whenever its approach the center of the tower it gets longer.
Moreover, this tower is located next to another towers and skyscrapers, which
gives value to these towers. In another words, Khalifa tower has been used as a
view; therefore, the prices of the places overlooking Khalifa tower are higher
than any other view in this area.
This tower has many different facilities
as I have mentioned above, and now I would like to discuses in more details
about how these facilities are designed and distributed in the tower. According
to the website structuremag “The goal of the Burj Khalifa Tower is not simply
to be the world’s highest building; it’s to embody the world’s highest
aspirations” (structuremag 1) that’s mean its goal is to be the place that
people like and enjoy to visit and that reflect its social values. First of all, this tower used space
successfully because its area is small comparing to how many facilities it
includes; and the designers used the vertical area in addition to the
horizontal area. Starting from the basement, there is two basements, B1 and B2,
for parking that enough for three thousand car to park. Above that there is one
of the biggest shopping mall in the Middle East named Dubai mall. A website
named thedubaimall “The Dubai Mall is
home to just about every major fashion brand in the world. Adorned with a
440,000 square feet Fashion Avenue, which is recognized as the largest
collection of fashion brands under one roof anywhere in the world, The Dubai
Mall is set to become the next fashion capital of the world”( thedubaimall 1).
Dubai mall has too many shops varying in the class; for example, the high class
such as Dior, Polo Ralph Loren, and Hermes; the middle class such as Zara,
H&M, and also there are some popular shops. Moreover, the mall has some places
for entertainment and they are very famous, one of them is the aquarium, which
the biggest aquarium in the Middle East, that is located in the middle of the
mall and most of the shops overlook it. Also, there is a skating area and this
area is used sometimes for some events such as, the national events and the
religious events. In addition, the biggest theater in the Middle East is
located in the mall that located in Khalifa tower. Furthermore, there are
several kinds of restaurants in the mall in addition to the food court. And
next to the mall there is some luxury hotels has a door get the residents into
the mall, and it is an economical way to mobile from place to place; in
details, it is economical to walk a small distance than paying to a cab or
spending an amount of fuel if one decide to drive.
Above the mall there is a reception area,
which was built to ensure the comfort to the residents. And according to the
Burjkhalifa website “Burj Khalifa has a rich array of amenities and services
that provide residents and their guests an unparalleled lifestyle experience.
Exclusive Sky Lobbies on Levels 43, 76 and 123 include state-of-the-art fitness
facilities, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, Jacuzzis and a recreation room for
gatherings and events. Other facilities include a resident's library, a cigar
club, and Burj Khalifa Gourmet Market, a gourmet convenience store and meeting
place for the residents. Valet parking will be provided for guests and
visitors.” (Burj Khalifa 3).
To
be more specific, this area includes gym, Jacuzzi, pool and spa; and because
the society in Dubai prevents women’s privacy, they provided a private
reception for women. As well as, this area includes a hall specialized for
social gathering and special occasions such as weddings. And this reception is
located under the residential units in Khalifa tower. There are two kinds of the residential units
for instance, studios and apartments of one to four bedrooms, and these two
units considered as a very luxurious and stately units. Moreover, there is
twelve floor specialized for offices and institutes. These twelve floors
located above another parking specialized for the owners and the workers in the
offices and the institutes; and these parking and offices located above the
residential units.
The upper floors are the floors of culture
because there is a huge library located in the upper floors and also there is a
platform. I named the floors of culture because the library there includes tons
of cultural books. Moreover, the platform is located in the 126 floor and it
made of glass. It gives the feeling of being flied in the sky by using
architecture in this tower. In the platform people can enjoy the view of the
sophisticated and modern city, Dubai; also, they can enjoy the view of on of
the biggest fountain in the Middle East, the fountain of Khalifa tower and the
park of it as well. Moreover, in this platform there is an educational tour
that tells the visitors about the development in Dubai and about the history of
this country.
I found this tower is valuable because
people visit this place for many reasons. Some people from foreign countries
come to this tower to spend few days in a hotel in this tower and enjoy its
architecture. Moreover, people visit this vertical city for entertainment
because there are many and different places for entertainment in this vertical
city as I have mentioned above, the shopping mall and what it includes such as
the theater, skating, and the aquarium; also, the platform floor. Moreover,
this tower is a place for relaxing such as the spa. Also, there are many people
live in this architectural masterpiece and also they can invite their family
members, relatives, and friends and gather in the hall provided to them. As
well as, workers in the istiuteis can work in a modern environment and enjoying
the view of this gorgeous city, Dubai, because the offices area located in the
middle of the tower, which overlook the city.
Works cited
Burjkhalifa.1.Emaar.2013.
Thedubaimall. 1. Emaar.2013.
William F. Baker, P.E., S.E.,
FIStructE and James J. Pawlikowski, S.E., LEED AP. Structuremag. 1. National Council of
Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA). 2013.
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