Complex foundation work completed in record 12 months
Tower is part of US $20 billion Burj Dubai district which will soon be the single biggest construction site in the world
Dubai, March 28th, 2005: Burj Dubai, Emaar Properties' iconic building symbolizing modernity and engineering prowess, has reached a defining moment in its history as the world's tallest tower rises, making the surrounding district the most prestigious square kilometre in the world.
The important second stage of this world-class project follows the completion of complex foundation work on the tower slated for completion in 2008. Emaar had earlier announced that South Korea based-Samsung Corporation has won a global bid for US$900 million (AED 3.285 billion) for the construction of the tower.
Speaking to the media during a hard-hat tour of the Burj Dubai construction site, Emaar Properties Executive Director Robert Booth informed that the foundation work, completed in record 12 months at a cost of US$15 million, (AED 54 million) involved some critical measures taken to ensure that the tallest man-made structure sits on a strong steel and concrete podium.
The tower's 192 piles have been constructed to depths of more than 50 metres and are bound together by a 3.7 metre thick concrete raft across 8,000 square metres, encompassing the tower's entire footprint.
Nearly 18,000 cubic metres (cbm) of cement concrete was poured for the tower piles while 15,000 cbm of concrete was used for the podium piles. The raft, in addition, comprise of 12,300 cbm of concrete, bringing the total concrete poured into the foundation to over 45,000 cbm weighing more than 110,000 tonnes.
"We now embark on the exciting part of the development where the world can witness our promise of "History Rising" coming to fruition," said Booth. "The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the foundation raft, setbacks occur at each element in an upward-spiraling pattern, decreasing the mass of the tower as it reaches towards the sky.
"The tower design created by celebrity architect Adrian Smith for Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) is inspired from the geometrics of the desert flower and the patterning systems employed in Islamic architecture. It combines these historical and cultural influences with cutting-edge technology to achieve a high performance building which will set the new standard for development in the Middle East and become the model for the future of the city of Dubai.
The high performance exterior cladding system will be employed to withstand the extreme temperatures during the summer months in Dubai. Primary materials include reflective glazing, aluminum and textured stainless steel spandrel panels and the vertical stainless tubular fins accentuating the height and the slenderness of the tower.
When completed Burj Dubai will hold the record in all four categories as recognized by the New York-based global authority - Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat - highest structure, roof, antenna and occupied floor.
Commenting on the value that the world-class Burj Dubai tower will bring to the city of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, Booth explained: "Burj Dubai is a symbol of human endeavour and success that makes Dubai one of the finest cities in the world that believes in excellence and a desirable quality of life."
Explaining the scale of the project, Booth further said: "The Tower is the central core of the magnificent US$20 billion (AED 73 billion) Burj Dubai district and the new emerging Downtown Dubai. More than 500 international consultants around the globe are currently finalising the design. At its construction peak, a workforce of more than 20,000 construction workers will be on site to create 45 million square feet of liveable space to accommodate 30,000 homes, making the Burj Dubai site the biggest single construction site in the world.
The district comprises The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping and entertainment complex; The Residences, an exclusive upscale series of high-rise apartment towers; The Old Town, a low-rise traditional residences community that is inspired by the stylist antiquity of Arabian architecture; The Boulevard, a 3.5 km stretch that binds the entire district and gives it an international ambience, besides man-made lakes and landscaped parks.
"As an urban planner and developer, I admire the ability of cities to create unique urban environments with a combination of cultures, building types and architectural styles unique to the world. Indeed skyscrapers have historically represented our quest for bettering our urban centres and have created some of the world's most desirable and admired places. Burj Dubai will do the same for the city of Dubai," Booth concluded.
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Note to Editor:
About Emaar Properties PJSC
Emaar Properties is a Public Joint Stock Company listed on the Dubai Financial Market with an asset base of US$7.7 billion including the land bank. The company has witnessed tremendous growth since its inception in 1997 and boasts a rapidly growing tenant base. Currently, it has several major real estate projects under various stages of development in Dubai including Dubai Marina, Arabian Ranches, Emirates Hills, The Views, The Meadows, The Springs, The Lakes, Hattan Homes, The Greens, Emaar Towers and The Residences at Burj Dubai. The company also owns and manages the Gold and Diamond Park. Emaar has started construction on its most ambitious project to date, the Burj Dubai Development, which comprises The Burj Dubai, The Dubai Mall, The Boulevard, The Old Town, man-made lakes, landscaped parks, etc. The company also has joint ventures and projects across the region covering Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco as also India and Pakistan..
While Emaar continues to actively pursue expansion in its core business of innovative, high quality real estate development, it has diversified into related business lines to further build value for its 41,000 shareholders, which includes the Government of Dubai. In line with this corporate belief, Emaar also owns and manages three subsidiaries - Dubai Bank, focused on retail and commercial banking, EMRILL, a joint venture with the UK-based Carillion which provides innovative property and facilities management services, and its technology and communications company, Sahm Technologies. Emaar is also the majority shareholder of Amlak Finance, UAE's first mortgage finance company. In 2004 Emaar was included in the Dow Jones Dubai International Financial Centre Arabia Titans Index.
For further information, please contact:
David D'Souza/ Lina Anani
ASDA'A Public
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Emaar Properties
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© Press Release 2005
