The Burj Dubai

When the world’s tallest building was inaugurated on January 4, 2010, the record books braced themselves to receive a flood of new entries.
At over 800 meters and with more than 160 floors, here are some of the essential numbers associated with the world’s tallest building:

95 – the distance in kilometers at which Burj Dubai’s spire can still be seen
124 – the floor location of "At The Top, Burj Dubai", the world’s highest and only publicly accessible observation deck with an outdoor terrace
160 – the number of luxury hotel rooms and suites
605 – the vertical height in meters to which concrete was pumped in the construction of Burj Dubai, a world record for concrete pumping
504 – the distance traveled, or ‘rise’ in meters of Burj Dubai’s main service lift, the most of any elevator
49 – the number of office floors, including the 12-floor annex
57 – the number of elevators
1,044 – the total number of residential apartments inside Burj Dubai
3,000 – the number of underground parking spaces
5,500 – the capacity in kilograms of the tower’s service lift
31,400 – the amount of steel rebar in metric tonnes used in the structure of Burj Dubai
28,261– the number of glass cladding panels making up the exterior of tower and its two annexes
15,000 – the amount of water in liters collected from the tower’s cooling equipment that will be used for landscaping irrigation
900 – the length in feet of the world’s tallest performing fountain, The Dubai Fountain, that lies at the foot of the tower
19 – the number of hectares of lush green landscaping that envelops the foot of the tower
12,000 – the numbers of workers on site during peak of construction

Trump International Hotel & Tower were honored by the Chicago Architecture Foundation

Donald Trump's Trump International Hotel & Tower and Kirkland & Ellis LLP's 300 North LaSalle were honored by the Chicago Architecture Foundation on Thursday at the group's annual Patron of the Year awards luncheon.

The coveted honors, given to those who commission buildings, are among the few awards handed out in town that are kept a secret until they're announced from the stage.

This year was no different, as attendees made off-the-cuff bets as to who would win.

The afternoon affair sponsored by Stein Ray & Harris LLP was held at the University Club just off Michigan Avenue and featured a number of high-profile guests, including Michael McCaskey, chairman of the board of the Chicago Bears, and Sunny Fischer, executive director of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

The two served on the jury led by famed architect Stanley Tigerman, who drew a crowd of visitors around his table in his first public appearance since being hospitalized for heart-bypass surgery.

"It's good to be out of there," said Mr. Tigerman, whose recent work includes the Holocaust Museum in Skokie.

Other projects honored were the Charles H. Shaw Technology & Learning Center and Richard J. Klarchek Information Commons in the institutional category and the Chicago Cultural Center: Preston Bradley Hall Dome Restoration and Chicago Main Branch Riverwalk in the government category.

Copyright © 2009 Crain Communications, Inc. Posted by Shia K.

Baroque Chicago?

Check out this NY Times article on the anti-minimalist Richard Dreihaus. The Richard H. Driehaus Museum of Decorative Arts is due to open in the spring in the Nickerson Mansion, quite possibly "the most expensive residence ever built in Chicago." Watch this space for details.

(Not) Defying Gravity?

The New York Times follows The Boston Globe in reporting that Frank Gehry has been hit with a lawsuit by M.I.T. At issue is the Stata Center (pictured left, courtesy of the Times), which according to the plaintiff is leaking and creaking. Did the university cut corners in construction, as Gehry claims, or is it a design problem? Let the courts decide....

New Hotel at IBM Plaza?

Crain's Chicago Business is reporting that plans are in the works for a hotel in the lower floors of the IBM plaza (in which the company no longer keeps its offices). The Mies van der Rohe tower would then, according to the terms of the deal, be granted landmark status.

Prairie Avenue Remembered

The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant is hosting an evening with two Prairie Avenue historians tonight. Visit their website for more details.

High-Rise Architecture

Good 9/11 reading on the state of high-rise architecture in America a year ago today.

What Is Your Favorite Chicagoland Landmark?

Follow the link to cast your vote for the Chicagoland landmark most deserving of funding for restoration and preservation. I know my grandsons are going to be rooting for the Viking Ship! Others in the running include the Chicago Cultural Center and the Fountain of Time Sculpture.