It takes just over 60 seconds for the lift in the Burj Khalifa to travel from the ground level to the observation deck on the 124th floor. The music played in the lift is copyright so I've overdubbed it with a track from a local singer, Hamri Al Arbi, who is happy to have his music heard.
Showing posts with label burj khalifa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label burj khalifa. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
And now we know why
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
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It must have been a terrifying moment for visitors to the world's tallest tower, which only opened last month.
They heard what sounded like a small explosion, then saw dust that looked like smoke seeping through a crack in an elevator door 124 floors above the ground.
Inside an elevator, 15 people were trapped for 45 frightening minutes until rescuers managed to pry open the doors.
Outside on the observation deck, about 60 more people were stranded and some began to panic.
Shortly after the drama unfolded on Saturday evening, the half-mile-high tower that was supposed to be one of Dubai's proudest achievements shut down to the public one month after its grandiose opening.
It was the latest embarrassment for the once-booming Gulf city-state that is now mired in a deep financial crisis.
Witnesses who were on the 124th floor observation deck at the time and a Dubai rescue official recounted on Tuesday the chain of events that led up to the shutdown.
Emaar Properties, the state-linked company that owns Burj Khalifa, has said little about the incident and nothing at all about an elevator malfunction.
It had no comment on Tuesday. It remains unclear what caused the elevator to the observation deck - the only part of the building that was open - to fail.
Michael Timms, 31, an American telecommunications engineer who lives in Dubai, was on the observation deck with his cousin Michele Moscato when the ordeal began.
"It almost sounded like a small explosion. It was a really loud bang," Timms said.
About 45 minutes later, rescue crews arrived and pried open the elevator door, he added. The faulty elevator was caught between floors, so rescuers hoisted a ladder into the shaft to help those trapped inside crawl out.
Abu Naseer, a spokesman for Dubai's civil defence department, confirmed the incident. He said the call for help came in about 6.20pm on Saturday evening.
Emergency crews used another elevator to reach the observation deck and were able to rescue all 15 people stuck in elevator unharmed, he said.
Emaar, which owns the 2717-foot (828 metre) building, has not responded to specific questions about the incident.
Local newspapers reported the shutdown of Burj Khalifa on Monday but it is still not clear exactly when the building was closed.
The company issued a brief statement on Monday saying the viewing platform was temporarily shut for "maintenance and upgrade" because of "unexpected high traffic".
It also hinted at electrical problems, saying "technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors".
Emaar has made no mention of problems with the elevators, angering some of those involved in the incident.
"What just kind of shocks me is that they were going to brush this under the rug to save face. If it broke, at least tell people it broke," Timms said.
"I was really starting to get upset, getting really nervous," said Moscato, 29, a nurse visiting from Columbia, South Carolina. "I started crying."
She said she and Timms - along with other visitors, some in raised voices - asked to use the stairs because they felt uncomfortable taking the elevator back down, but were told that was not allowed.
Moscato said one of those trapped in the elevator told her later that the lights went off and the car began to fall before the brakes kicked in. It was not possible to independently verify the account.
The $1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) Burj Khalifa opened with a lavish fireworks display and other celebrations on January 4 after being beset by a series of delays.
Only the observation deck was being used for now as work continues on the rest of the building's interior. The first tenants were supposed to move in this month.
The tower more than 160 stories, though the exact number is not known. The tapering, silvery tower ranks not only as the highest building but also as the tallest freestanding structure in the world.
The observation deck, which is mostly enclosed but includes an outdoor terrace bordered by guard rails, is located about two-thirds of the way up.
==================
It must have been a terrifying moment for visitors to the world's tallest tower, which only opened last month.
They heard what sounded like a small explosion, then saw dust that looked like smoke seeping through a crack in an elevator door 124 floors above the ground.
Inside an elevator, 15 people were trapped for 45 frightening minutes until rescuers managed to pry open the doors.
Outside on the observation deck, about 60 more people were stranded and some began to panic.
Shortly after the drama unfolded on Saturday evening, the half-mile-high tower that was supposed to be one of Dubai's proudest achievements shut down to the public one month after its grandiose opening.
It was the latest embarrassment for the once-booming Gulf city-state that is now mired in a deep financial crisis.
Witnesses who were on the 124th floor observation deck at the time and a Dubai rescue official recounted on Tuesday the chain of events that led up to the shutdown.
Emaar Properties, the state-linked company that owns Burj Khalifa, has said little about the incident and nothing at all about an elevator malfunction.
It had no comment on Tuesday. It remains unclear what caused the elevator to the observation deck - the only part of the building that was open - to fail.
Michael Timms, 31, an American telecommunications engineer who lives in Dubai, was on the observation deck with his cousin Michele Moscato when the ordeal began.
"It almost sounded like a small explosion. It was a really loud bang," Timms said.
About 45 minutes later, rescue crews arrived and pried open the elevator door, he added. The faulty elevator was caught between floors, so rescuers hoisted a ladder into the shaft to help those trapped inside crawl out.
Abu Naseer, a spokesman for Dubai's civil defence department, confirmed the incident. He said the call for help came in about 6.20pm on Saturday evening.
Emergency crews used another elevator to reach the observation deck and were able to rescue all 15 people stuck in elevator unharmed, he said.
Emaar, which owns the 2717-foot (828 metre) building, has not responded to specific questions about the incident.
Local newspapers reported the shutdown of Burj Khalifa on Monday but it is still not clear exactly when the building was closed.
The company issued a brief statement on Monday saying the viewing platform was temporarily shut for "maintenance and upgrade" because of "unexpected high traffic".
It also hinted at electrical problems, saying "technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors".
Emaar has made no mention of problems with the elevators, angering some of those involved in the incident.
"What just kind of shocks me is that they were going to brush this under the rug to save face. If it broke, at least tell people it broke," Timms said.
"I was really starting to get upset, getting really nervous," said Moscato, 29, a nurse visiting from Columbia, South Carolina. "I started crying."
She said she and Timms - along with other visitors, some in raised voices - asked to use the stairs because they felt uncomfortable taking the elevator back down, but were told that was not allowed.
Moscato said one of those trapped in the elevator told her later that the lights went off and the car began to fall before the brakes kicked in. It was not possible to independently verify the account.
The $1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) Burj Khalifa opened with a lavish fireworks display and other celebrations on January 4 after being beset by a series of delays.
Only the observation deck was being used for now as work continues on the rest of the building's interior. The first tenants were supposed to move in this month.
The tower more than 160 stories, though the exact number is not known. The tapering, silvery tower ranks not only as the highest building but also as the tallest freestanding structure in the world.
The observation deck, which is mostly enclosed but includes an outdoor terrace bordered by guard rails, is located about two-thirds of the way up.
Burj Khalifa observation deck closes
============
The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.
Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa's viewing platform - the only part of the half-mile high tower open yet.
But a lack of information from the spire's owner left it unclear whether the rest of the largely empty building - including dozens of elevators meant to whisk visitors to the tower's more than 160 floors - was affected by the shutdown.
The indefinite closure, which began on Sunday, comes as Dubai struggles to revive its international image as a cutting-edge Arab metropolis amid nagging questions about its financial health.
The Persian Gulf city-state had hoped the 828-metre Burj Khalifa would be a major tourist draw.
Dubai has promoted itself by wowing visitors with over-the-top attractions such as the Burj, which juts like a silvery needle out of the desert and can be seen from miles around.
In recent weeks, thousands of tourists have lined up for the chance to buy tickets for viewing times, often days in advance, that cost more than US$27 (NZ$38) apiece.
Now many of those would-be visitors, such as Wayne Boyes, a tourist from near Manchester, England, must get back in line for refunds.
"It's just very disappointing," said Boyes, 40, who showed up at the Burj's entrance with a ticket for an afternoon time slot only to be told the viewing platform was closed.
"The tower was one of my main reasons for coming here," he said.
The precise cause of the $1.5 billion Dubai skyscraper's temporary shutdown remained unclear.
In a brief statement responding to questions, building owner Emaar Properties blamed the closure on "unexpected high traffic," but then suggested that electrical problems were also at fault.
"Technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors and the public will be informed upon completion," the company said, adding that it is "committed to the highest quality standards at Burj Khalifa."
Despite repeated requests, a spokeswoman for Emaar was unable to provide further details or rule out the possibility of foul play.
Greg Sang, Emaar's director of projects and the man charged with coordinating the tower's construction, could not be reached.
Construction workers at the base of the tower said they were unaware of any problems.
Power was reaching some parts of the building. Strobe lights warning aircraft flashed and a handful of floors were illuminated after nightfall.
Emaar did not say when the observation deck would reopen.
Ticket sales agents were accepting bookings starting on Valentine's Day this Sunday, though one reached by The Associated Press could not confirm the building would reopen then.
Tourists affected by the closure are being offered the chance to rebook or receive refunds.
The shutdown comes at a sensitive time for Dubai. The city-state is facing a slump in tourism - which accounts for nearly a fifth of the local economy - while fending off negative publicity caused by more than US$80 billion in debt it is struggling to repay.
Ervin Hladnik-Milharcic, 55, a Slovenian writer planning to visit the city for the first time this month, said he hoped the Burj would reopen soon.
"It was the one thing I really wanted to see," he said.
"The tower was projected as a metaphor for Dubai. So the metaphor should work.
There are no excuses."
Dubai opened the skyscraper on January 4 in a blaze of fireworks televised around the world.
The building had been known as the Burj Dubai during more than half a decade of construction, but the name was suddenly changed on opening night to honour the ruler of neighbouring Abu Dhabi.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of seven small sheikdoms that comprise the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi hosts the federation's capital and holds most of the country's vast oil reserves. It has provided Dubai with US$20 billion in emergency cash to help cover its debts.
Questions were raised about the building's readiness in the months leading up to the January opening.
The opening date had originally been expected in September, but was then pushed back until sometime before the end of 2009. The eventual opening date just after New Year's was meant to coincide with the anniversary of the Dubai ruler's ascent to power.
There were signs even that target was ambitious. The final metal and glass panels cladding the building's exterior were installed only in late September.
Early visitors to the observation deck had to peer through floor-to-ceiling windows caked with dust - a sign that cleaning crews had not yet had a chance to scrub them clean.
Work is still ongoing on many of the building's other floors, including those that will house the first hotel designed by Giorgio Armani that is due to open in March.
The building's base remains largely a construction zone, with entrance restricted to the viewing platform lobby in an adjacent shopping mall.
The first of some 12,000 residential tenants and office workers are supposed to move in to the building this month.
The Burj Khalifa boasts more than 160 stories. The exact number is not known.
The observation deck, which is mostly enclosed but includes an outdoor terrace bordered by guard rails, is located about two-thirds of the way up on the 124th floor.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
They call me Khalifa.
=======================================
The Burj Dubai-Burj Khalifa name change: Better change those T-shirts and caps in the gift shop--and a whole lot more.
The stunning name change of the world's tallest building from Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa, announced last night at the tower's opening, is going to upset a lot of applecarts--and is likely to wind up costing a lot of people a lot of money.
Consider:
--T-shirts and caps for sale in the skyscraper's observatory, called "At The Top," and in its gift shop in the adjoining Dubai Mall are emblazoned with the words "At The Top/Burj Dubai." They're now outmoded--on the first day that the observatory is opening to the public.
--The district in which the skyscraper is located is called "Downtown Burj Dubai." It is identified as such on road signs and maps. "Downtown Burj Dubai" presumably will now become "Downtown Burj Khalifa."
--The tower's backers reportedly just spent $2 million on Burj Dubai uniforms for security and hotel personnel. How much will it cost to change the uniforms? Or might it be easier to put patches on the uniforms that cover up "Burj Dubai" and say "Burj Khalifa" instead?
Dubai's leaders must have known that problems like this were coming when they agreed to the name change, which recognizes the Abu Dhabi leader who bailed them out of their debt crisis. It appears that they were so desperate that they had no choice.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Photo: Maureen Davies
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