The document discusses the history and ongoing competition to build the world's tallest structures. It focuses on Burj Dubai, under construction in Dubai, which is planned to surpass 2,000 feet and become the new record holder when completed in 2008. The tower's design draws from Islamic architecture and its rapid construction, managed by Turner International, involves a workforce that will exceed 20,000. Burj Dubai is part of a larger development plan to expand Dubai's economy beyond oil through tourism and services.
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1. For more than 40 years, New York City¡¯s Empire State
Building was the tallest building in the world. Completed in
1931, at 1,250 feet, it was just the beginning of a global quest
to dominate the sky.
Her long reign was broken in 1972 with the completion of
The World Trade Center, also in New York City. Fondly called
The Twin Towers, its two structures, at 1,368 and 1,362,
once again changed the city¡¯s skyline.
Just two years later, in 1974, all eyes were on Chicago as the
Sears Tower created a new record at 1,450 feet.
The move to Asia
At that point, the reach for the sky in the U.S. ceased and the
race was transported from North America to Asia. In 1998,
The Petronas Towers, at 1,483 feet, were erected in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, quickly followed by the Jin Mao Tower in
Shanghai, China, (1,381 ft.) in 1999. In 2003, Hong Kong¡¯s
Two International Finance Center was completed at 1,362
feet,. and surpassed one year later by Taipei 101 ¨C it has 101
floors ¨C in Taiwan. Taipei 101 still holds the world record at
1,667 feet, but not to be outdone, China¡¯s Shanghai World
Finance Center, scheduled for completion in 2007, will boast
the highest outdoor observation deck at 1,611 feet.
Burj Dubai
But, heck, why should Asia have all the fun? Enter Dubai
of the United Arab Emirates and history returns to those
years of yore when the Middle East held sway on the tallest
structure in the world with the almost 4,000 year reign of
Turner International and Primavera: Building the Burj Dubai
Project Management Highlights:
? Primavera used to manage construction of world¡¯s tallest building to-date
? Foundation built in record time of 12 months
? Project workforce to exceed 20,000 during peak construction
2. Egypt¡¯s Great Pyramid of Giza.
It was supposedly usurped
by the Lincoln Cathedral in
England in the fourteenth
century, but the glory of the
tallest structure in the world
is about to return to the
Middle East.
When completed in 2008,
Burj (Arabic for ¡°tower¡±)
Dubai will likely be the tallest
structure in the world at more
than 2,000 feet ¨C the eventual
height has still not been
revealed lest competitors gain
an edge. Burj Dubai is poised
to hold the record in all four
categories set by the New
York based Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat
¨C highest structure, roof,
antenna and occupied floors.
Inspired by the desert
The tower¡¯s design, created by the architectural firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, is derived from the geometries
of the desert flower and patterning systems used in Islamic
architecture. Three elements spiral around a central core as
the tower grows from the base. With setbacks occurring at
each element, the mass of the tower decreases as the height
increases toward the limitless sky. The design reduces the
wind forces that occur at that altitude and allows a reduced
core as the building ascends. In fact, at the 160th planned
floor, the structure will change from its concrete base to a
steel and aluminum structure that can be extended until the
work is finalized.
A Y-shaped floor plan will maximize the extraordinary views
of the Persian Gulf and feature the first Armani Hotel, which
will occupy the first 37 floors. Above, up to floor 108, will be
700 private apartments ¨C it¡¯s reported that they were all sold
within eight hours ¨C with the remaining floors dedicated to
corporate office suites, except for a lobby on the 123rd floor
and an observation deck on the 124th.
A global venture
The contract for construction of the tower was awarded by
Emaar Properties, the largest land and real estate developer
in the Gulf region, to a consortium under South Korean-
based Samsung Corporation. Project and construction
management is under the guiding hand of Turner International
Middle East Ltd., of Dubai (jointly owned by Emaar and
Turner International of New York). Turner also managed the
construction of the Taipei 101 and is currently supervising
construction of Federation Complex in Moscow, slated to be
the tallest building in Eastern Europe upon completion.
Excavation at Burj Dubai began in January, 2004, with
a completed foundation established within a record 12
months. At the time of this writing, the structure is more
than 50 stories high and is being completed at an astonishing
rate of one floor every four days ¨C the rate will accelerate
as the building gets taller and the square footage of each
floor decreases. The multinational workforce is expected to
exceed 20,000 during peak construction.
David Bradford, construction manager for Turner
International, says his firm is up to the challenge, since Turner
has been involved in the construction of 20 of the world¡¯s
tallest buildings. ¡°We reached 60 floors in less than 750 days
since excavation and we are on schedule for completion by
December 2008.¡±
A middle east metropolis
Burj Dubai is the centerpiece of an extensive plan to
expand an economy currently based on trade and oil into a
country with tourism and service as its mainstay. It¡¯s a huge
venture that includes the entire Burj Dubai district, home
to the Dubai Marina and waterfront, and the world¡¯s largest
shopping and entertainment venue, the Dubai Mall. There is
also a planned underwater hotel, various island projects and
The Lagoons, made up of seven landscaped islands that will
be a mix of residential units, shopping centers, office buildings
and marinas, all linked by bridges. To that mixture add Old
Town, a section based on Arabian architecture, and The
Boulevard, a stretch of road that provides an international
ambience, and you¡¯ve got a major urban metropolis in
the making.
3. What¡¯s the one constant in most of these imposing
structures? Beginning with the Petronas Towers, they were
all constructed with the help of Primavera solutions, probably
a record.
Tomorrow's record
But there¡¯s an old maxim that records are meant to be
broken (except for DiMaggio¡¯s 56-game hitting streak); plans
for other structures that may exceed the height of Burj Dubai
are already on the drawing board. Only 30 miles from Dubai,
another tower, Al Burj, is in the planning stages and may
usurp Burj Dubai in a few years. In addition, Kuwait is said
to be interested in a project called Madinat-al-Hareer (City
of Silk) that would include an Olympic stadium and a tower
exceeding 3,000 feet. The drawback: it will take 25 years
to complete.
But because man¡¯s desire to create beauty and art is never
quenched, the race to the sky will continue. For now,
however, Burj Dubai is focusing world attention on a region
that many consider to be the cradle of civilization, giving it a
new spotlight as the focus of the modern Middle East.
WORLDWIDE HEADQUARTERS
Three Bala Plaza West
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, USA
P. +1.610.667.8600, 1.800.423.0245
F. +1.610.667.7894
info@primavera.com
INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Metro Building, Third Floor
1 Butterwick
London W6 8DL, United Kingdom
+44.20.8563.5500
Fax: +44.20.8563.5533
intlinfo@primavera.com
Copyright 2006 Primavera Systems, Inc.
www.primavera.com