The Burj Khalifa became the world’s tallest building when it opened in Dubai in 2010.
The skyscraper rises 828 metres above the ground and has 163 floors above ground. Construction began in 2004, and the building opened officially on 4 January 2010. It was initially known during development as Burj Dubai before being renamed in honour of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The tower was designed by the Chicago-based firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with Adrian Smith as chief architect. Its three-lobed floor plan was inspired by the shape of the desert flower Hymenocallis. The design also uses a buttressed core system to resist wind and support the immense height.
The Burj Khalifa surpassed Taipei 101, which had been the world’s tallest building since 2004. Its height remains distinct from the world’s tallest structures measured by other categories, such as antenna height.