(Thumbnail image: Bloomberg)
“Today Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, is celebrating as it opens the world’s tallest building. At more than 2,600 feet, the skyscraper, simply known as Dubai Tower, also sets a record with an observation deck on the 124th floor if you got the stomach for that one.” (MSNBC)
More than 1,000 feet taller than the previous record holder for tallest building in the world, the Burj Dubai’s grand opening is swirling with controversy. The media are debating whether the building will be a financial bust or an economic boost.
AMEInfo.com, a Middle East business news Web site, looks at what’s inside the Burj Dubai.
“49. The number of office floors. 160. The number of luxury hotel rooms and suites. 1,044. The total number of residential apartments inside the Burj Dubai.”
An anchor on FOX News discusses why Dubai built the skyscraper, and Dubai’s current economic situation.
“The architectural feat is meant to reflect Dubai’s hope of becoming a global financial hub, kind of ironic because right now, of course, we’ve been reporting on its crippling debt, deep debt.”
But a blogger on True/Slant says the building is all about swagger, not substance.
“Building tall buildings has always been scene as a not-so-veiled attempt at becoming the biggest kid on the block. Tall buildings–alongside a robust military and an advanced space program–are symbolic of economic dominance and world significance on our busy, overcrowded planet.”
CNBC talks to an architect involved with the Burj Dubai project, who says the success of the skyscraper will depend on what grows up around it.
“I think if you took a tall building and put it on its own, it probably is very marginal on its own. But if you put in a large master plan you create a tremendous amount of value around that building. You’ve seen that happen in many urban situations around the world including Chicago, where even Sears Tower and John Hancock caused a large amount of development around those buildings.”
So is the Burj Dubai a mistake, or will it become an enduring symbol of economic strength?
Writer: Lee Morehouse
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