Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab is the world's tallest hotel (but not the largest).
Hotel facts and statistics
Location	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
No of stars	5 stars*
Architect	Tom Wright of Atkins
No. of rooms	202[1]
Website	burj-al-arab.com
Footnotes
*While officially this hotel has a 5-Star rating, the Burj Al Arab says it is a 5-Star Deluxe hotel, and it says it is the world's only 7-Star hotel only in advertising[1].

The Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب, "Tower of the Arabs") is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates managed by the Jumeirah Group and built by Said Khalil. It was designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel.^[2] However, the Rose Tower, also in Dubai, which has already topped Burj Al Arab's height, will take away this title upon its completion in 2007. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the billowing sail of a boat. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 84 KB) The picture was taken by Aymx in 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Coordinates: , Emirate Government  - Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Area [1]  - Metro 4,114 km² (1,588. ... Stars are also used to classify senior military ranks. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... Tom Wright is a British architect. ... Atkins is a professional services firm providing engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. ... Coordinates: , Emirate Government  - Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Area [1]  - Metro 4,114 km² (1,588. ... UAE redirects here; for other uses of that term, see UAE (disambiguation) The United Arab Emirates is an oil-rich country situated in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia, comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... This article is about the year. ... Tom Wright is a British architect. ... Atkins is a professional services firm providing engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. ... Arabic redirects here. ... For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation). ... Coordinates: , Emirate Government  - Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Area [1]  - Metro 4,114 km² (1,588. ... Jumeirah (fullname: Jumeirah Group, formerly Jumeirah International Group) is an international luxury hotel chain and part of Dubai Holdings, which is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (current ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates). ... Tom Wright is a British architect. ... Atkins is a professional services firm providing engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The Rose Tower is a 333 metre, 72 story tower currently under construction on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE. This skyscraper, whose construction began in 2004, was to be 380 m high, but its projected height was reduced in further design modification. ... Before Mexico City, Tenochtitlan was an artificial island of 250,000 (Dr Atl) Dejima, not allowed direct contact with nearby Nagasaki Formoza (Gdynia) The World in Dubai An artificial island is an island that has been formed by human, rather than natural means. ... Jumeirah Jumeirah is a coastal residential area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates mainly comprising low rise private dwellings. ... The Savior Not Made By Hands (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) An icon (from Greek εικων, eikon, image) is an artistic visual representation or symbol of anything considered holy and divine, such as God, saints or deities. ...

Construction

Construction of Burj Al Arab began in 1994. It was built to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. Architect Tom Wright 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, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become synonymous with the name of the country."^{[citations needed]} Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... A Dhow near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. ... Tom Wright is a British architect. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. ...

The architect and engineering consultant for the project was Atkins, the UK's largest multidisciplinary consultancy. The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts.^[3] The hotel cost $650 million to build.^[4] Atkins is a professional services firm providing engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. ...

Features

Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 meters offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-meter long concrete piles into the sand. The foundation is held in place not by bedrock, but by the friction of the sand and silt along the length of the piles.^[5]

Engineers created a surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honey-comb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, and less than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 cubic meters of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel.^[5]

The world's tallest atrium

Inside the building, the atrium is 180 meters (590 ft) tall. During the construction phase, to lower the interior temperature, the building was cooled by half-degree increments over a period of three to six months. This was to prevent large amounts of "condensation or in fact even a rain cloud from forming in the hotel during the period of construction." This task was accomplished by several cold air nozzles, which point down from the top of the ceiling, and blast a 1 meter cold air pocket down the inside of the sail. This creates a buffer zone, which controls the interior temperature without massive energy costs.^{[citations needed]} Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x667, 420 KB) Other versions Originally from de. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x667, 420 KB) Other versions Originally from de. ... Looking up inside the 32-story atrium of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt, part of the Jin Mao Building. ...

Burj Al Arab characterizes itself as the world's only "7-star" property, a designation considered by travel professionals to be hyperbole. All major travel guides and hotel rating systems have a 5-star maximum, which some hotels attempt to out-do by ascribing themselves "6-star" status. Yet according to the Burj Al Arab's official site, the hotel is a "5-star deluxe hotel". It is the world's tallest structure with a membrane façade and the world's tallest hotel (not including buildings with mixed use) and was the first 5-star hotel to surpass 1,000 ft (305 m) in height. Although it is characterized as the world's only 7-Star Hotel, several "7 Star" hotels are under construction. These include the Flower of the East under construction in Kish, Iran,^[6] The Centaurus Complex under construction in Islamabad, Pakistan^[7] and a complex planned for Metro Manila in the Philippines.^[8] Not to be confused with Hyperbola. ... Stars are also used to classify senior military ranks. ... West façade of the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg Cathedral A facade (or façade) is the exterior of a building – especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. ... Picture of what the Flower of the East complex will look like. ... Kish (Persian: کیش) is an Iranian island and city in the Persian Gulf, and is part of the Hormozgan province. ... The Centaurus - Islamabad Pakistan The Centaurus in a mixed-use development currently under construction in Islamabad, Pakistan. ... Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد) is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. ... For the capital city of the Philippines, see Manila. ...

Exterior

The Burj Al Arab artificial island

The building design features a steel exoskeleton wrapped around a reinforced concrete tower. Notably the building is shaped like the sail of a dhow, with two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast". The space between the wings is enclosed by a Teflon-coated fibreglass sail, curving across the front of the building and creating an atrium inside. The sail is made of a material called Dyneon, spanning over 161,000 square feet (15,000 m²), consists of two layers, and is divided into twelve panels and installed vertically. The fabric is coated with DuPont Teflon to protect it from harsh desert heat, wind, and dirt; as a result, "the fabricators estimate that it will hold up for up to 50 years."^[9] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 82 KB) author Saudi http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 82 KB) author Saudi http://www. ... There is a disputed proposal to merge this article with glass-reinforced plastic. ...

During the day, the white fabric allows a soft, milky light inside the hotel, whereas a clear glass front would produce blinding amounts of glare and a constantly increasing temperature. At night, both inside and outside, the fabric is lit by color-changing lights. During the period of mourning following the death of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum in January 2006, the light show and some water features were turned off. Wikinews has news related to this article: Dubai leader Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum dead Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum (1943 – 4 January 2006) (Arabic: الشيخ مكتوم بن راشد آل مكتوم) was the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the emir or ruler...

A front on view of the Burj Al Arab Hotel. The disk near the top of the tower is a helicopter landing pad.

Near the top of the building is a suspended helipad supported by a cantilever. The helipad has featured some of the hotel's notable publicity events. Irish singer Ronan Keating shot his music video Iris on the helipad. In March 2004, professional golfer Tiger Woods hit several golf balls from the helipad into the Persian Gulf, while in February 2005, professional tennis players Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played an unranked game on the helipad, which was temporarily converted into a grass tennis court, at a height of 211 meters. The helipad has no borders or fences on the edges and if a player hit a winner the tennis balls would plunge down to the ground.^[10][11] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 615 KB) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 615 KB) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... An Atlas Oryx helicopter touches down on a helipad onboard the High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) ship. ... An Atlas Oryx helicopter touches down on a helipad onboard the High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) ship. ... A schematic image of two cantilevers. ... Ronan Patrick John Keating (born March 3, 1977 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish pop singer. ... Iris is an epic song by American alternative rock band the Goo Goo Dolls. ... Personal Information Birth December 30, 1975 ) Cypress, California Height 6 ft 1 in (1. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... Federer redirects here. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a former World No. ... An exhibition game is the North American term for a sporting event in which there is no gain or loss from whether the competitors are victorious or not in the competition. ...

Interior

The base of the atrium with water fountain

The interior was designed by Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International. Other projects by Khuan Chew include the Sultan of Brunei's Palace, Dubai International Airport, Jumeirah Beach Resort Development, Madinat Resort and much more. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2437 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Burj al-Arab User:Karmarooster/burj al arab Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2437 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Burj al-Arab User:Karmarooster/burj al arab Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state of Brunei. ... Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB, ICAO: OMDB) (Arabic: مطار دبي الدولي) is the international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. ...

The Burj Al Arab features the tallest atrium lobby in the world, at 180 meters (590 ft). The atrium is formed between the building's V-shaped span. The atrium dominates the interior of the hotel, and takes up over one-third of interior space. It can accommodate the Dubai World Trade Center building, which, at 38 stories, was the tallest building in Dubai from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Looking up inside the 32-story atrium of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt, part of the Jin Mao Building. ... The Dubai World Trade Center is a skyscraper that was built in 1979. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

While the exterior of the Burj Al Arab is expressed in terms of ultra-modern sculptural design, the interior guest space is a compilation of lavish and luxurious architectural styles from both the east and the west. The hotel boasts 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marble.

In the mezzanine lobby, a fountain creates a "three-dimensional Islamic star pattern."^[12] Pointed arches throughout, found in one of the hotel’s three restaurants, corridors between guest rooms, and at the top of the atrium recall a classic Arabian architectural design form.

Rooms and prices

One of the hotel suites

Despite its size, the Burj Al Arab holds only 28 double-story floors which accommodate 202 bedroom suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 square meters (1,819 square ft), the largest covers 780 square meters (8,396 square ft). It is one of the most expensive hotels in the world. The cost of staying in a suite begins at $1,000 per night and increases to over $15,000 per night; the Royal Suite is the most expensive, at $28,000 per night.^[12] Image File history File links Burj Al Arab - hotel suite Photographed by de:User:Wofratz, march 2005, and released under the GNU Free Documentation License. ... Image File history File links Burj Al Arab - hotel suite Photographed by de:User:Wofratz, march 2005, and released under the GNU Free Documentation License. ...

Suites feature design details that juxtapose east and west. White Tuscan columns and a spiral staircase covered in marble with a wrought-iron gold leaf railing show influence from classicism and art nouveau. Spa-like bathrooms are accented by mosaic tile patterns on the floors and walls, with Arabian-influenced geometries, which are also found elsewhere in the building.

Restaurants

One of its restaurants, Al Muntaha (Arabic meaning "Highest" or "Ultimate"), is located 200 meters above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai. It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 meters from either side of the mast, and is accessed by a panoramic elevator. Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... A schematic image of two cantilevers. ... This article is an overview of the term Panorama. ...

Another restaurant, the Al Mahara (Arabic "The Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 35,000 cubic feet (over one million liters) of water. The tank, made of acrylic glass in order to reduce the magnification effect, is about 18 cm (7.5 inches) thick. The restaurant was also voted among the top ten best restaurants of the world by Condé Nast Traveler. They have recently hired acclaimed chef Kevin McLaughlin. Arabic redirects here. ... “Aquaria” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Thousand Cubic Feet be merged into this article or section. ... Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or poly (methyl 2-methylpropenoate) is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... Condé Nast Traveler is an American magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, started in 1987, specializing in luxury travel, reviewing high priced hotels, products and services. ...

Reviews by architecture critics

Burj Al Arab during sunset

The Burj Al Arab has attracted criticism as well as praise, described as "a contradiction of sorts, considering how well-designed and impressive the construction ultimately proves to be."^[13] The contradiction here seems to be related to the hotel’s extreme opulence. "This extraordinary investment in state-of-the-art construction technology stretches the limits of the ambitious urban imagination in an exercise that is largely due to the power of excessive wealth." Another critic includes the city of Dubai as well: "both the hotel and the city, after all, are monuments to the triumph of money over practicality. Both elevate style over substance."^[13] Yet another: "Emulating the quality of palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a theater of opulence is created in Burj Al Arab … The result is a baroque effect".^[13] Sam Wollaston writing in The Guardian described the Burj as "...fabulous, hideous, and the very pinnacle of tackiness - like Vegas after a serious, no-expense-spared, sheik-over". ^[14] Image File history File links Burj al Arab Photographed by de:User:Wofratz, Juli 2002, and released into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Burj al Arab Photographed by de:User:Wofratz, Juli 2002, and released into the public domain. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ...

Image gallery

The Burj Al Arab is situated off the Dubai coast	Profile from the beach	Burj Al Arab as seen from the beach	Close-up shot of the Burj Al Arab
Inside the bathroom of a suite	Looking down at the upper lobby

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 528 pixelsFull resolution (996 × 657 pixel, file size: 106 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Original Uploader: de:User:SvG at 18:56, 26. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1144x856, 702 KB) Dubai, Burj al Arab File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Burj al-Arab User:Karmarooster/burj al arab Metadata This file contains additional information... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 481 pixelsFull resolution (1037 × 623 pixel, file size: 99 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 294 KB)View of one of the Living Rooms of Burj Al-Arab File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Burj Al Arab

• Burj Dubai
• Palm Islands and Palm Jumeirah
• The World (archipelago)
• Tourism in Dubai
• Jumeirah
• Spinnaker Tower
• List of tallest buildings in Dubai

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Burj Dubai (Arabic: Dubai Tower) is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ... The designs of the three palm islands. ... The Palm Jumeirah in 2005 The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government. ... The World logo The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands in the shape of a world map currently being built off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ... Tourism in Dubai is an important part of the Dubai governments strategy to maintain the flow of foreign dollars into the emirate. ... Jumeirah Jumeirah is a coastal residential area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates mainly comprising low rise private dwellings. ... The Spinnaker Tower in June 2005. ... The tallest building in Dubai is the 354. ...

References

• Rose, Steve. "Sand and Freedom", The Guardian, November 28 2005, retrieved October 27 2006.
• National Geographic Television. National Geographic: Megastructures, retrieved October 27 2006.

is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Footnotes

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External links

Official sites

• Burj Al Arab official website
• Atkins, the designers and engineers behind Burj Al Arab
• Guinness Book of World Records relating to Burj Al Arab

Video and photographs

• Video tour inside Burj Al Arab
• Photographs and details at DubaiHotel.ws
• Photo gallery and video galleries of Burj Al Arab Hotel Interiors and Exteriors

Maps and satellite images

• Google Earth 3D model of Burj Al Arab
• Google Maps satellite view of Burj Al Arab

The helipad

• Tennis on the Burj's helipad
• Andre Agassi and Roger Federer play a friendly game on the roof

Coordinates: 25°08′28″N, 55°11′08″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...