5 surprising facts about the Burj Khalifa skyscraper

1.The shape of Burj Khalifa is the shape of a flower
The Burj Khalifa skyscraper is a true masterpiece of engineering art. The shape of the building repeats the outline of the famous desert flower - Hymenocallis (or spider lily). Three “wings” are located around the central axis. Thanks to this architectural solution, all visitors to the skyscraper can enjoy a beautiful view of Dubai and the Arabian Gulf. If you look at Burj Khalifa from above, its shape resembles an onion dome - an element that is traditionally used in Islamic architecture.

2
At the top of the Burj Khalifa, the temperature is 6 degrees Celsius lower than on the first floor
The skyscraper is so tall that the air temperature at its top is significantly lower than on the ground. This is not the only world record of Burj Khalifa. Thus, on the 124th floor there is the highest observation deck in the world At The Top. You can get there by an elevator with the world's highest shaft or by the world's longest staircase, which leads to the 160th floor and has 2909 steps (only the skyscraper's technical staff is allowed to climb above the 125th floor).

3
It took nearly 26,000 hand-cut glass panels to clad the building
The area of the Burj Khalifa's exterior facade is the size of 17 soccer fields. To reflect direct sunlight, the building is clad with 26,000 hand-carved glass panels that can withstand the harsh desert climate. Interesting fact: it takes 3-4 months to completely wash the facade of the skyscraper.

4
Record after record
Burj Khalifa is often featured on wide screens. For example, in the movie “Mission Impossible: Phantom Protocol” Tom Cruise climbed the glass wall of the building. However, the first and so far the only person who managed to conquer the famous skyscraper in real life was the Frenchman Alain Robert, who jokingly calls himself “Spider-Man”. In 2011, Robert made the ascent, which took 6 hours, 13 minutes and 55 seconds. Alain's “track record” includes many famous skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building and Taipei 101. In addition, in April 2014, professional skydivers Fred Fugen and Vince Reffe set a world record by double skydiving from the top of the Burj Khalifa.

5
The highest art gallery in the world
Inside, the walls of the Burj Khalifa are decorated with works by over 85 artists from around the world. The corporate lobby features a sculpture by renowned Egyptian-born designer Karim Rashid titled “Evolvent”, which is an intersecting oval made of natural stone and a unique organic coating. In the residential building of the skyscraper there is a large-scale water installation by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa - “Voices of the World”, which consists of 196 musical cymbals representing 196 countries.