Editor Carla Geerdes
This day started at 07:00 h in the morning for us. At 07:30 h we left our friends’ home. Some minutes later we got a taxi with a nice driver who only made a small detour to show the area to us. Practically this meant that he dropped us at the backside of the building complex. To get a booking on short call for a visit to the world’s largest building appears rather challenging. Our friends not only succeeded in organizing the tickets in two days, but also in lowering the exorbitant fares for European tourists to a down-to-earth measure. Skillfully they had started the project the afternoon of our arrival asking us if we liked to visit Burj Khalifa. Who won’t? So we agreed enthusiastically without doubting which complex organization structure might be put into operation. Of course Burj Khalifa may be visited spontaneously at every time, but spontaneity has its tariffs. About four times more than our tickets, grace to our friends’ connections with some representatives of the tourist department. But this was all we were able to worm out of our friends.
Our visit was for 08:30 h, which means to be there about 30 minutes in advance to the booking. Admission is on a fixed date at a fixed time on a personal ticket. If the person is not in time, the ticket expires without substitution. The duration of the visit is not prescribed; it is up to the visitor how long he or she is staying on the viewing platform in the 124th floor. 163 storeys in the building are inhabited. The second largest outdoor deck of the world - no. 1 is Shanghai World Financial Center - is situated at a height of 452 m, the whole construction is 828 m high from ground to top. In January 2010 it was inaugurated and got the name “Khalifa”. In the beginning of the construction work in 2004 until completion it was known as “Burj Dubai” (Dubai Tower). At the inauguration it was named after the President of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Al Nahyan. For Berliners the “pin” may arouse some feeling of familiarity, as some thousand tons of recycled steel from for contamination with asbestos demolished Berlin Republic Palace, a prestige object of former German Democratic Republic (1949-1990) government, have been used for the construction of its upper floors.
At 08:00 h in the morning there are not many people in front of Dubai Mall, where inside the entry to the top of Burj Khalifa is situated.
What the young George Braque and Pablo Picasso might have thought about this?
This bronze sculpture of a horse stands in front of Dubai Mall on the way to the top of Burj Khalifa.
Dubai Mall with bronze sculpture of the horse s (below left).
Picturesque staircase of a bridge leading to Souk Al Bahar.
At this early hour the water landscape with the skyscrapers looks like a piece of art.
Burj Khalifa! Dubai Mall (r) with entry to the top of Burj Khalifa, straight ahead the bronze sculpture, behind left the bridge to Souk Al Bahar.
Burj Khalifa
Entry to the lift to the top
A very professional team receives the booked visitors, controlling date and time of their tickets. If there is time left until admission they request for some patience. We used the opportunity to look around and discovered an interesting presentation:
Burj Khalifa in its height compared to other famous buildings.
The edifice presents itself to its visitors the way it wants to be seen.
A member of the cleansing staff seems to reflect the inscription.
The design inspired by “nature and culture“.
Waiting for the lift downwards (l), viewing platform (ahead and then r).
Very rare visitors have the chance to experience such a perfectly organised tour. Even the lift to the outdoor deck is providing a special experience. Music of the spheres combined with designs of stars accompanies the unbelievably soft movement upwards. No need to worry for stomach or blood circulation, all here is very pleasant. Further one is occupied with assimilating the manifold informations given on altitude and utilization of the floors, shown on a display on the wall of the lift cage. Gliding only I can imagine softer than being transported in this lift. Although one is on the top at cyberspeed.
Leaning on the gallery, provided by the way with small grooves for reflection-free photos, we enjoy the offer to be photographed together in exchange for the same we had done .
Water landscape seen from above!
Access to Dubai Mall is all canopied and air-conditioned; the water has to be cooled down in summer.
Dubai Mall and desert sand.
Behind the skyscrapers and the professional road constructions the ocean in the mist.
A tiny turn to the right, the same motif.
A city been and being built in the desert sand.
Until the desert has vanished, there is quite some work left.
Reflecting glass facades and streets arranged one upon the other.
View into the opposite direction into the interior. Enough space left for construction!
The view downwards shows the fascinating design of the music directed water fountains, operating only when the shops in the Dubai Mall are ready for shopping.
The emerging town district is still enveloped by the morning mist.
The lift downwards ends on a level where those are honoured who relevantly participated in the construction work and gives details on the complex steps of the procedure.
This downwards moving staircase directly ended up in the Dubai Mall.
This impressing visit to Burj Khalifa naturally was completed with an invigorating breakfast. When we had finished the shops in the mall just were about to open. Those who love to shop are advised to allow themselves a stay in Dubai. As this is not so much of our business, we unerringly headed for the other attractions of Dubai Mall.