Burj Al Arab

Burj al-Arab

General information

Status Complete

Type Luxury hotel

Architectural High-tech
style

Location Romero, Kyle Jerome B., Kyle 3 , Dubai, United Arab

Emirates

25.141975N 55.186147ECoordinates: 25.141975N 55.186147E

Coordinates

Construction 1994
started
Completed 1999
Opening December 1999
Cost US$1 billion[1]
Height
Architectural 321 m (1,053 ft)
Top floor 197.5 m (648 ft)
Technical details
 Floor count 56 (3 below ground)[2]
Lifts/elevators 18[2]
Design and construction
Architect Tom Wright of WKK Architects
Developer Jumeirah
Structural Atkins
engineer
Other information
Number of 202[2]

rooms
Website
burj-al-arab.com
References
[2][3][4][5][6]

The Burj al-Arab (Arabic: , Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates. It is the fourth tallest hotel in the world; however, 39% of its total height is made up of non-
occupiable space. Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah beach and is
connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the
sail of a ship. It has a helipad near the roof at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground.

Site
The beachfront area where Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously
called Chicago Beach. The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land 280 meters offshore of the beach
of the former Chicago Beach Hotel. The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron
Company which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tanks, known locally as Kazzans on the site.

The old name persisted after the old Hotel was demolished in 1997. Dubai Chicago Beach Hotel remained
as the Public Project Name for the construction phase of Burj Al Arab Hotel until Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum announced the new name.

Design and construction

Burj Al Arab was designed by multidisciplinary consultancy Atkins, led by architect Tom Wright, who has
since become co-founder of WKK Architects. The design and construction were managed by Canadian
engineer Rick Gregory also of WS Atkins. Construction of the Island began in 1994 and involved up to
2,000 construction workers during peak construction. It was built to resemble the billowing spinnaker sail
of a J-class yacht. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is
enclosed in a massive atrium. The architect Tom Wright said "The client wanted a building that would
become an iconic or symbolic statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with its Opera
House, London with Big Ben, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become
synonymous with the name of the country. Fletcher Construction from New Zealand was the lead joint
venture partner in the initial stages of pre-construction and construction. The hotel was built by South
African construction contractor Murray & Roberts and Al Habtoor Engineering. The building opened in
December 1999.

Features

Lobby

Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial
island constructed 280 m (920 ft) offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 forty-meter-long
(130 ft) concrete piles into the sand. Engineers created a ground/surface layer of large rocks, which is
circled with a concrete honeycomb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took
three years to reclaim the land from the sea, while it took fewer than three years to construct the building
itself. The building contains over 70,000 m3 (92,000 cu yd) of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel. Inside the
building, the atrium is 180 m (590 ft) tall. Burj Al Arab is the world's third tallest hotel (not including
buildings with mixed use). The structure of the Rose Rayhaan, also in Dubai, is 11 m (36 ft) taller than
Burj Al Arab.

Rooms and suites

The hotel is managed by the Jumeirah Group. Despite its size, Burj Al Arab holds only 28 double-story
floors which accommodate 202 bedroom suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of
169 m2 (1,820 sq ft), the largest covers 780 m2 (8,400 sq ft). Suites feature design details that juxtapose east
and west. White columns show great influence. Bathrooms are accented by mosaic tile patterns.The Royal
Suite, billed at US$24,000 per night, is listed at number 12 on World's 15 most expensive hotel
suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012. The Burj Al Arab is very popular with the Chinese market, which
made up 25 percent of all bookings at the hotel in 2011 and 2012.

Restaurants
 Al Muntaha

Al Mahara

Al Muntaha ("The Ultimate"), is located 200 m (660 ft) above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai.
It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 m (89 ft) from either side of the mast, and is accessed by
a panoramic elevator. Al Mahara ("Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features
a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 990,000 L (260,000 US gal) of water. The wall of the tank,
made of acrylic glass in order to withstand the water pressure, is about 18 cm (7.1 in) thick

Rating

The Burj Al Arab is a five-star hotel, the highest official ranking. While the hotel is sometimes erroneously
described as "the world's only seven-star hotel", the hotel management claims to never have done that
themselves. In the words of a Jumeirah Group spokesperson: "There's not a lot we can do to stop it. We're
not encouraging the use of the term. We've never used it in our advertising

Reception
Reviews by architecture critics
Burj Al Arab Hotel Interior

Burj Al Arab has attracted criticism as well "a contradiction of sorts, considering how well-designed and
impressive the construction ultimately proves to be. The contradiction here seems to be related to the
hotels decor. "This extraordinary investment in state-of-the-art construction technology stretches the limits
of the ambitious urban imagination in an exercise that is largely due to the power of excessive wealth."
Another critic includes negative critiques for the city of Dubai as well: "both the hotel and the city, after
all, are monuments to the triumph of money over practicality. Both elevate style over substance. Yet
another: "Emulating the quality of palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a
theater of opulence is created in Burj Al Arab The result is a baroque effect".

Public relations stunts

Several events have taken place on the helipad 210 m (689 ft) above ground to attract media attention.