Burj Dubai completes 50% cladding work

More than 12,000 panels covering an area of over 50,000 sq m has been installed on the tower, which is now the world's tallest free-standing structure. Burj Dubai is now 604.9 metres high. The final height and number of levels have not been revealed.

The cladding work on Burj Dubai is being undertaken in phases across various levels to match the project timelines. More than 80 storeys currently don the high-performance cladding system. The primary materials used are reflective glazing, aluminium and textured steel spandrels, and vertical stainless steel tubular fins. This accentuates Burj Dubai's height while lending it with a shimmering slenderness.

Mr Ahmad Al Matrooshi, UAE Managing Director, Emaar Properties, said: "The architectural and design splendour of Burj Dubai is now coming to fruition with the installation of the cladding, which is being executed on an accelerated schedule. With 50% of the work completed, Burj Dubai is setting new milestones in the speed of construction of super-high-rises."

Mr Bashar Kayali, General Manager, Arabian Aluminium Company - a member of Al Ghurair Construction Industries LLC, said: "We are deploying innovative techniques in the cladding work, and 50% of the work was completed in less than seven months - a record of sorts. The logistics of cladding Burj Dubai, with other aspects of construction going on simultaneously, is very demanding, and we are utilizing advanced technologies to complete the work on schedule."

Burj Dubai is now taller than Taipei 101 (508 metres; 1667 ft) in Taiwan and CN Tower (553.33 metres; 1815.5 ft) in Toronto, Canada. More than 5,000 consultants and skilled professional workers are employed on-site at the tower.

Emaar is partnering with South Korean construction major Samsung Corporation and New York-based Project Manager Turner Construction in constructing Burj Dubai, which was designed by Adrian Smith and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago.

Burj Dubai will feature residences, commercial space and retail space and hospitality elements including the world's first Armani Hotel and Armani Residences. The Armani Residences, launched recently, received overwhelming customer response.

Burj Dubai is the centrepiece of Emaar's flagship project, the Dhs73bn ($20bn) Downtown Burj Dubai - the new centre of the city that already has a thriving community of residents. Three hospitality projects - Al Manzil, Qamardeen and The Palace, Old Town - have opened apart from Souk Al Bahar, a shopping mall inspired by Arabesque architectural elements.

Homes have been handed over to the owners in The Residences and The Old Town, and there is huge demand for the new residential projects, 29 Burj Dubai Blvd, Claren and Standpoint, which were unveiled recently. Lending further charm and energy to the community are the various lifestyle and leisure activities being held on the Burj Dubai Boulevard. In close proximity to Burj Dubai is The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping and entertainment destinations, to open later this year.