Completed in 2009, for a total cost of 1.5 billion dollars, the 2,717 foot tall Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Built in Dubai, the project included the following:
- 160 floors
- World's highest elevator installation, situated inside a rod at the very top of the building
- World's fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h (40 mph)
- World's highest mosque (located on the 158th floor)
- World's highest swimming pool (76th floor
- There are 27 terraces in Burj Khalifa
- The spire of Burj Khalifa is composed of more than 4,000 tonnes of structural steel.
More than 1,000 pieces of art will adorn the interiors of Burj Khalifa, while the residential lobby of Burj Khalifa will display the work of Jaume Plensa, featuring 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.
"The exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa consists of 142,000 m2 (1,528,000 sq ft) of reflective glazing, and aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrel panels with vertical tubular fins. The cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's extreme summer temperatures. Additionally, the exterior temperature at the top of the building is thought to be 6°C (11°F) cooler than at its base. Over 26,000 glass panels were used in the exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa. Over 300 cladding specialists from China were brought in for the cladding work on the tower.
A 304 room Armani Hotel, the first of four by Armani, occupies 15 of the lower 39 floors.
The sky lobbies on the 43rd and 76th floors will house swimming pools. Floors through to 108 will have 900 private residential apartments (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of being on the market). An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool will be located on the 76th floor of the tower. Corporate offices and suites fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 122nd, 123rd and 124th floor where the At.mosphere restaurant, sky lobby and an indoor and outdoor observation deck is located respectively. Burj Khalifa will receive its first residents from February 2010. They will be among the first of 25,000 people who will live there.
Burj Khalifa is expected to hold up to 35,000 people at any one time. A total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators are installed. The elevators have a capacity of 12 to 14 people per cabin, Engineers had considered installing the world's first triple-deck elevators, but the final design calls for double-deck elevators. The double-deck elevators are equipped with entertainment features such as LCD displays to serve visitors during their travel to the observation deck. The building has 2,909 stairs from the ground floor to the 160th floor....
Outside, and at a cost of ...(US$217 million), a record-setting fountain system was designed.. Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 50 coloured projectors, it is 275 m (902 ft) long and shoots water 150 m (490 ft) into the air, accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music... (Source)
Meanwhile, In Salt Lake City, the Mormon Church is spending anywhere from an estimated 4 billion (According to some Church insiders) to 10 billion dollars (according to others) on a shopping mall, 400 residential units and landscaping that includes a pond and an artificial creek.
The Burj Khalifa has 3 million square feet of interior space. The Mormon Mall will have 674,000 square feet of retail space, and nowhere near the luxuries. Ironically, for the same money, the Church could have built anywhere from two to six Burj Khalifa's in downtown Salt Lake City. Or, perhaps, a tower that would have made Nimrod green with envy.
Due to the 1000% cost over-runs on the Mill Creek Project, some individuals are accusing the Church of money laundering, kickbacks, lining their pockets, or worse. Since crooked Mormon politicians run the state of Utah, and the Church keeps its books closed to public inspection, no investigation of any wrong-doing will be forth-coming.
Some believe that the "Mormon Sheep" have been fleeced so frequently, and whistleblowers violently suppressed for such a long period of time, that they have grown accustomed to it. That, however, shouldn't stop the Obama administration and his Justice Department from looking into things. Or the IRS for that matter. Heck, anyone reading this could file a complaint if they so desired. Its easy, just click the aforementioned links.
