Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa, world's tallest free standing structure was inaugurated at Dubai on Jan 4, 2010. This engineering marvel has put mankind a step closer to the heavens. Being a mixed use building, the 160 floors of it are given to business, residences and hotels. Eliciting comparisons to the Tower of Babel in the Bible, the design and construction was truly an international affair. The design was by American and European experts, construction by Samsung Korea, most of the workforce from South Asia and of course, the money by the Arabs. Probably the designers had this in mind, when the residential lobby of Burj Khalifa was given the artwork of 196 bronze and brass alloy cymbals representing the 196 countries of the world. The visitors in this lobby will be able to hear a distinct timbre as the cymbals, plated with 18-carat gold, are struck by dripping water, intended to mimic the sound of water falling on leaves. This building can hold 25,000 people at a time.

The superlatives for this building are numerous. The cost is Rs. 6928 crores (at Rs. 46.19 a USD). The cost of residential space is Rs. 1,61,000 per square feet. There are 160 floors, one of which is the world's highest mosque on the 158th floor. The elevators operates at a lightning speed of 64 kmph. The triple-lobed foot print of the structure was inspired by the flower Hymenocallis.

A musical fountain called Dubai Fountain is located on the outside having a length of 275 m which can shoot water up to 150 m, accompanied by music. The fountain itself cost Rs. 1,000 crores by the above exchange rate.

This structure has returned the location of Earth's tallest man-made structure to the middle east after 700 years, when the Lincoln Cathedral in England overtook the Great Pyramid of Giza in 1311.

The building however, was definitely not labour friendly, as the average wage of a labourer was a measly Rs. 6,000 per month!