The Burj Dubai will be the world’s tallest building when it opens in 2009. The building is part of a 2 km2 (0.8 sq mi) development called ‘Downtown Dubai’ and is located at the “First Interchange” along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street.

The building was designed by Adrian Smith before he left Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM) of Chicago to start his own independent practice, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture in October 2006. SOM continues to lead the architectural, structural engineering and mechanical engineering of the Burj Dubai. The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about $4 billion US dollars and for the entire new ‘Downtown Dubai’, $20 billion US Dollars.

Its shape is inspired by the indigenous desert flowers that often appear as decorative patterns in Islamic architecture, but it also has an engineering purpose: The swirl shape ensures that the mass of the structure lessens as it reaches the top, making the structure steadier. A mixed-use building developed by Dubai’s Emaar Properties, the Burj Dubai will house shops, offices, residences, and entertainment venues.