Burj Al Arab

Burj Al Arab

General Information

Status Complete

Type Luxury Hotel

Architectural style High-Tech

Location Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 3 - إمارة دبيّ‎, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Coordinates 25.141975°N 55.186147°E

Construction started 1994

Completed 1999

Opening December 1999

Cost US$2 billion[1]

Height

Architectural 321 m (1,053 ft)

Top floor 197.5 m (648 ft)

Technical details

Floor count 56 (3 below ground)[2]

Lifts/elevators 18[2]

Design and construction

Architect Tom Wright of WKK Architects

Developer Jumeirah

Structural engineer Atkins

Other information

Number of rooms 202[2]

Website

burj-al-arab.com

References

[2][3][4][5][6]

Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب‎‎,Tower of the Arabs) is a hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the third tallest hotel in the world; however, 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space.[7][8][9] Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship. It has a helipad near the roof at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground.

Site Edit

The beachfront area where Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach.[10] The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land 280 meters offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach Hotel.[11] The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tanks, known locally as Kazzans on the site.[10]

The old name persisted after the old Hotel was demolished in 1997. Dubai Chicago Beach Hotel remained as the Public Project Name for the construction phase of Burj Al Arab Hotel until Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the new name.[11]

Design and construction Edit

Burj Al Arab was designed by multidisciplinary consultancy Atkins, led by architect Tom Wright, who has since become co-founder of WKK Architects. The design and construction were managed by Canadian engineer Rick Gregory also of WS Atkins. Construction of the Island began in 1994 with over 60 WS Atkins managerial and design staff, and up to 2000 construction workers during peak construction. It was built to resemble the sail of a traditional Arabian vessel called a dhow. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. The architect Tom Wright[12] said "The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or symbolic statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with its Opera House, London with Big Ben, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become synonymous with the name of the country."[13][not in citation given]

Atkins. Fletcher Construction from New Zealand was the lead joint venture partner in the initial stages of pre-construction and construction.[14] The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts and Al Habtoor Engineering.[15]

The building opened in December 1999.[16]