Architectural Criticism and Analysis

0703441
Associate Professor: Dr Safa
Abdullah Mohammad Al Husban
Summer 2021/2022
BURJ KHALIFA

Done by :
Mohammad Nasser
Abdallah Manzalawi
Sama Qandeel
Ahmad Aljafari
Saif Jazini
Hosam Riyad
 Burj Khalifa
mixed-use skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that is
the world's tallest building, . Built to house a variety of
commercial, residential, and hospitality ventures, reached
162 floors and a height of 2,717 feet (828 meters).
The architectural design and purpose of Burj Khalifa acts as
to the Downtown Dubai redevelopment mega project.
Dubai, as the city has become to be known in the past 30
years, is a highly developed, modern, and global metropolis.

Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab

Emirates
Completed: January, 2010
Architect: Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
(Adrian Smith)
Project Manager: Turner International
Main Contractor: Samsung Corporation
(South Korea)
Developer: Emaar Properties
 Located in:
1 Sheikh
Mohammed bin
Rashid Blvd -
Downtown
Dubai - Dubai -
United Arab
Emirates

Burj's Architectural
Design
The context of the Burj Dubai being
located in the city of Dubai, UAE,
drove the inspiration for the
building form to incorporate
cultural, historical, and organic
influences particular to the region
Facts Regarding Design & Construction of Burj
Khalifa

•This building design was a challenge and its design was inspired
by Hymenocallis flower.
•The construction work was started in 2004 and completed in 2009. This
building officially inaugurated on January 4, 2010.
•431,600 cubic yards of concrete was used to build this tower which is
equivalent to 100,000 elephants and Over 58,900 cubic yards of concrete
was used to construct the foundation.
•Construction took approximately 22 million man-hours.
 

Global Expertise, Local Inspiration…

Burj Khalifa's design is inspired by Middle Eastern
architecture, but an international team of experts came together
to build it.
 Burj Khalifa, the tallest
building
in the world, stands at a
whopping 829.8 m (tip to tip).
There are 163 floors in the tall
skyscraper.
A 'Vertical City'
Burj Khalifa has been called
'vertical city' and the name
couldn't be more apt. Given its
magnitude and mixed-use
facilities, it holds in the region
of 10,000 people at any given
point in time.
The Weight of Burj Khalifa
Completely empty Burj Khalifa weighs
approximately 500,000 tones.
Tallest building 828 meters
Tallest man-made structure
Tallest free-standing structure
Highest residential apartments
Largest number of stories
The highest restaurant in the world
Highest outdoor observation deck
World record for vertical concrete
pumping
Tallest service elevator
Highest aluminum and glass façade
Highest observation deck in the world
 World's Tallest Art Gallery
Burj Khalifa is home to the commissioned works of
over 85 artists from around the world. The art
works vary from impressionism to abstract works,
but they all reveal an Arabic cultural context.

Burj Khalifa features the world's highest
library on Level 123 of The Residences.
196 Nationalities Global Collaboration
The wonder of Burj Khalifa was made possible by the
collaboration of more than 30 on-site contracting
companies from around the world a fact that is
embodied in 'World Voices', an art installation in the
lobby of The Residence
 Challenges
These experiences had prepared the multidisciplinary design The solar
team to envision what the tower would become. They would heat gain
have to design for numerous challenges that would become would be
intensified when scaling up to meet the height requirement. high.

Piecewise this included the hot,

costal environment where the soil
conditions were poor
The wind speeds would
have to be considered from
the beginning of the design.

Even small
earthquakes could be
a disaster. 
Concept
Floral Inspiration
The spider lily or Hymenocallis, which
served as inspiration for the form of
Burj Khalifa, is an noticeable part of
the stunning landscaping that
surrounds the tower

The tower’s overall design was

inspired by the geometries of a
regional desert flower and the
patterning systems embodied in
Islamic architecture.

Built of reinforced concrete and clad in

glass, the tower is composed of sculpted
volumes arranged around a central
buttressed core.
 Architectural Style
Islamic style
There is a glimpses of the
Modern style Islamic architectural style
Modern architectural simplicity appear on the building. If
with a seamless blend of technology we look at the Burj Khalifa
and design that lays the foundation from the base or from the
for tall skyscrapers, developments, air, it evokes the onion
start-ups and towns. domes prevailing in Islamic
architecture.

High tech style

As for the interior design of the
building, it was designed in a high-
tech style, and this appears in the
residential suites in the tower.

Futuristic style
Burj Khalifa is a neo-futuristic building, symbolizing the
modern, high-tech architecture of the 21st century. Centered in
Downtown Dubai, the largest business and tourism hub in the
Emirate of Dubai.
Accessibility

A Town Comes To Life

All of Downtown Dubai - including The Dubai
Mall, Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Souk
Al Bahar, Old Town, and The Address Hotels -
were coming to life along side Burj Khalifa.

Anchoring the Community

Burj Khalifa serves as an anchor to the Downtown
Dubai community. A multicultural area, Downtown
Dubai brings the best of the Arab and Western
worlds together, offering something for everyone.
 Landscape
A View of The Dubai Fountain
Aside from a stunning view of the city of Dubai, the
Observation Decks of Burj Khalifa also offers a unique aerial
view of The Dubai Fountain. The performance soundtrack is
played at the top for an immersive experience.

The tower's landscaped

areas are divided into
three distinct sections for
the residences, the
offices and the hotel. The
landscape design
comprises a palm court,
six water features, a lake-
side promenade forest
groves, a play area and
terrace gardens.
 Elevations
materials
Burj Khalifa comprises 39,000 m/t
of reinforced steel; 103,000 square
meters (1.1 million square feet) of
glass; and, 15,500 square meters
(166,800 square feet) of Embossed
stainless steel.

The total weight of aluminum used in the building of Burj Khalifa is equivalent to
that of five A380 aircraft and the total length of stainless steel bullnose fins is 293
times the height of the Eiffel Tower

Lighting
A Little Sparkle Burj Khalifa's lighting
perfectly complements the character of the
building as a simple and elegant structure. The
facade is lit by a series of stroboscopes, that
can be individually programmed to chase up
the tower or sparkle in a pattern or at random.
Plans

Sky Lobbies
There are three Sky Lobbies
in Burj Khalifa. Located on
levels 43, 76 and 123, these
public spaces offer amenities
such as spas, pools, outdoor
sundecks, gyms, and juice
bars, among others.
Interior lighting
Luxury Interiors
Burj Khalifa is a study in the world's most Natural lighting,
luxurious materials- the interiors of the tower also known as
feature silver travertine flooring, Venetian stucco daylighting, is a
walls, handmade rugs, stone flooring and dark, technique that
intricate Brazilian Santos rosewood. efficiently brings natural
light into your home
using exterior glazing
(windows, skylights,
etc.)

Artificial light
has the capacity to create a
number of different
ambiences in the same space
making it a sort of “space
shaper”, adapting the
atmosphere according to the
consumers’ needs.
section vertical movement

Burj Khalifa's
stairwell has a
total of 2.909
steps leading up to
the 160th floor.

Elevators & Escalators

Burj Khalifa has a total of 57 elevators and eight
escalators. Among them are the world's tallest
service elevator, which has a capacity of 5.500
kg and the Observatory elevators, which are
double deck cabs that travel at 10 m/s.
 Structure
A Strong Foundation
Burj Khalifa's superstructure is supported
by a 3.7 meters thick reinforced concrete
mat. It took12,500 cubic meters of high-
density, low-permeability concrete to build
the mat. A cathodic protection system under
the mat helps to mitigate the effects of
corrosive chemicals in the groundwater.

Casting Call
A Story of Concrete A jump form system
The highest reinforced was used to cast Burj
concrete core walls in Burj Khalifa's concrete
Khalifa were pumped at 80 structure. At peak
MPa to a height of efficiency, it was able
601metres in November to cast a story every
2007. three days.
 Experience Function
A Scent Apart Spa Corridor
The common areas of Burj Khalifa all The corridor approach to
have a bespoke fragrance that was the spa in each Sky
selected from among 18 aromas. The Lobbies designed using
fragrance with the materials in each space glass and responsive
for a subtly different experience. lighting that evokes the
feeling of walking on
water.

World Voices
The lobby of The Residence at
Burj Khalifa is dominated by
artist Jaume Plensa's eponymous
sculpture' World Voices'. The
piece incorporates 196 cymbals.
Water dropping gently from the
ceiling strikes the cymbals and
creates a chorus of distinct tones
that represent the voices of
people worldwide.
services Safety
Water Supply Safety First
Burj Khalifa's water system supplies an
To ensure fire safety and
average of 946,000 liters of water a day.
speed of evacuation, all
Given the height of the tower, water
stairwells in Burj Khalifa are
storage tanks are installed in the main
surrounded by concrete and
mechanical plant room floors, which are
there are pressurized, air-
located every 30 floors.
conditioned refuge areas
almost every25 floors.
Behind the Scenes
All the equipment
essential for the
operation of Burj Khalifa
are housed in seven
double-storey-height
mechanical floors.
Located every 30 floors,
they accommodate the
electrical sub-stations,
water tanks and pumps,
and air-handling units.
 VIEWS
Up in the Clouds
On a foggy morning, when a thick layer
You can watch the
of fog settles over the city of Dubai, the
sunset twice in the
view from Burj Khalifa's Observation
same day from the Burj
Decks is something to be hold it
Khalifa, once from the
appears as though you are standing
ground floor and once
above the clouds.
from one of the upper
floors

Rooms with a view of the

Burj Khalifa are more
expensive than rooms in
the hotel itself
Charming view from
the top of the clouds
Evaluation
First: Evaluation in terms of environmental standards
Second: Evaluation in terms of social/ cultural standard
Third: Evaluation in terms of intellectual standards
Fourth: Evaluation in terms of functional standards

Fifth: Evaluation in terms of aesthetic and standards

Sixth: Evaluation in terms of construction standards
Seventh: Evaluation in terms of economic standards
First: Evaluation in terms of environmental standards
The pros and cons High temperatures
of the relationship Dubai is very hot during the daytime, At these temperatures, concrete sets too
between the early and finally cracks. So, it was impossible to carry out construction in the
building and the daytime. Therefore, it was decided to do all the concrete work in the night. Ice was
surrounding also mixed with concrete to rule out this problem.
environment
Wind
in UAE, the wind speed on an average is 12 km/h but can rise as high as 80 km/h.
For any skyscraper, wind can pose a serious problem. Burj Khalifa is such
designed that can nullify the wind effect on this building.

The extent of Inside Temperature of Burj Khalifa

achieving the Engineers worked out on several plans to reduce the inside temperatures of this
climatic and skyscraper. One plan was to design reflecting glasses which reflect the UV and
physiological infrared rays from the sun.
comfort within the Cooling the interior of a skyscraper is quite a challenge. For this purpose, were
spaces of the constructed a huge air conditioning system, which in the peak, needs approx.
building. 10 000 t of ice.
First: Evaluation in terms of environmental standards
enhanced thermal protection against the high temperatures
High performance glazing with a low emissivity glass
Energy saving

The conduction of electric power using higher voltage reduces energy losses and increases
energy efficiency compared to low voltage energy distribution.
Sustainable Electronic metering enables ongoing energy optimisation over the tower’s lifetime.
design
features efficient use of building resources and services.
Smart lighting and mechanical control using a Building Management System (BMS) lowers the
costs of operation
Reducing the need for mechanical means of pressurisation
Thermal differences between the building’s interior and exterior generate a stack effect. Stack
effect controls were designed to passively control these forces.
Water saving
The plants are watered by water collected from the building’s cooling system which provides
68,000,000 L (15,000,000 imp gal) annually.
First: Evaluation in terms of environmental standards
Interaction with the general planning of the road Viewfinders located on the edge of the Burj
networks and the general nature of urban Khalifa's observation decks transport you into
planning the surrounding environment and the road
network forms a close connection to the adjacent
Dubai Residential city.
Second: Evaluation in terms of social/ cultural standard
Appropriateness of the building and its The context of the Burj Dubai being located in
compatibility with the cultural heritage of the the city of Dubai, UAE, drove the inspiration for
region the building form to incorporate cultural,
society accepts the work of the civilized and the historical, and organic influences particular to
extent of its interaction with it.
the architectural character the region
Third: Evaluation in terms of intellectual standards
Fourth: Evaluation in terms of functional standards
Fifth: Evaluation in terms of aesthetic and standards
Sixth: Evaluation in terms of construction standards
Seventh: Evaluation in terms of economic standards