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.