Page 15 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Burj Khalifa and Around ❮❮ 13

Souk Al Bahar
4
and Old Town
On the southern side of
Burj Khalifa Lake are
Souk al Bahar (see p72)
and the so-called “Old
Town”. These mark a
change in architectural
tone from other nearby
buildings with low-rise,
sand-coloured Arabian-
style design (right).

The Exterior
6
The vast exterior (left) is clad in 26,000
individually hand-cut glass panels set into the
aluminium and steel curtain wall. Materials were
designed to resist scorching summer temperatures.
Sheikh Zayed
At.mosphere
7 0
Road
The world’s highest
Looking north from the bar and restaurant are on
observation deck, Burj Khalifa’s 122nd floor.
the view is dominated Fine dining and cocktails
by Sheikh Zayed Road’s in the clouds are the
long line of spiky sky- theme here (see p75).
scrapers, although the
height of the Burj means
that even the tallest is TOP TEN
reduced to relative TOWER FACTS
insignificance. 1 It has more floors (163)
The Address
5 Jumeirah than any other building.
Downtown
2 The world’s highest
Dominating the view 8 mosque (158th floor)
Looking west
to the southeast of the from the Burj, the sea is can be found here.
Burj Khalifa is the huge relatively close at hand, 3 Lifts reach speeds of
Address Downtown hotel with glimpses of the 10 meters per second.
(below), with its unusual beach and views over 4 Over 12,000 people
semicircular sum- the suburb of Jumeirah worked on its construction.
mit. The hotel (see pp76–81), with its 5 A World War II airplane
made world endless sprawl of low, engine was used to test
headlines on milky-white villas. the wind resistance.
New Year’s Eve 6 It takes three months
Burj Al Arab
in 2015, when 9 to clean the windows.
a huge fire Jumeirah
engulfed part and Beyond 7 The total aluminum used
of the building. At the far southern end of is equal to five Airbus 380s.
Fortunately Jumeirah rises the outline 8 The spire contains over
no one was of the Burj Al Arab hotel 4,000 tons of steel.
badly hurt. (see pp24–5). Although it’s 9 Pressurized refuges on
over 10 km (6 miles) away, every 25th floor provide
the hotel’s size means safety from fires.
that it’s clearly visible. 10 It is named after the
Beyond you can make out President of UAE, Sheikh
the outline of the Palm Khalifa bin Zayed
Jumeirah and the sky- Al Nahyan.
scrapers of the marina.

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