Burj Khalifa Timeline

By June 2006, the structure of the Burj Khalifa had risen to its 50th level, a significant early milestone in the vertical climb toward becoming the world's tallest building. The structure had started rising visibly in March 2005.

In February 2007, while still under construction, the Burj Khalifa surpassed Chicago's Sears Tower as the building with the most floors in the world, one of many records it would claim during its rise.

On 13 May 2007, the project set a record for vertical concrete pumping on any building, reaching 452 m (1,483 ft) and surpassing the 449.2 m (1,474 ft) achieved during Taipei 101's construction, as the tower reached its 130th floor.

On 21 July 2007, the Burj Khalifa surpassed Taipei 101, whose height of 509.2 m (1,671 ft) had made it the world's tallest building since 2004, as construction reached level 141.

In May 2008, Putzmeister pumped concrete with more than 21 MPA ultimate compressive strength up to the 156th floor, achieving a then world record delivery height of 606 m (1,988 ft). The remaining columns were metal jacketed or covered with concrete.

On 1 September 2008, with height topping 688 m (2,257 ft), the Burj Khalifa became the tallest human-made structure ever built, surpassing the previous record-holder, the Warsaw Radio Mast in Konstantynów, Poland.

On 17 January 2009, the Burj Khalifa was topped out at 829.8 m (2,722 ft), completing the structural ascent of what was already confirmed to be the tallest building and structure in the world.

On 10 March 2010, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat certified the Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building, formally confirming the record it had claimed by surpassing Taipei 101 during construction.

In June 2016, the Shanghai Tower opened with an observation deck at a height of 561 metres, taking from the Burj Khalifa the title of the world's highest observation deck.

Image source: Shanghai Tower

On 18 February 2019, the Burj Khalifa reclaimed the record for the world's highest observation deck when it opened The Lounge at 585 m (1,919 ft), which is also the highest lounge in the world.

In May 2008, Hervé Le Gallou and David McDonnell, disguised as engineers, entered the Burj Khalifa (then around 650 metres tall) and jumped off a balcony situated several floors below the 160th floor in an unauthorized BASE jump.

On 8 February 2010, the At the Top observation deck was closed to the public for two months after power-supply problems caused an elevator to become stuck between floors, trapping a group of tourists for 45 minutes.

On 28 March 2011, French climber Alain 'Spiderman' Robert scaled the outside of the Burj Khalifa, conquering the world's tallest building using only his hands and feet in a remarkable free-climbing feat.

Image source: Alain Robert

On 10 May 2011, an Asian migrant worker in his mid-30s jumped to his death from the Burj Khalifa's 147th floor onto the 108th floor's deck, a tragic incident at the world's tallest building.

On 21 April 2014, experienced French BASE jumpers Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen broke the Guinness world record for the highest BASE jump from a building, leaping from a specially designed platform at the very top of the pinnacle at 828 metres (2,717 feet) with permission from authorities.

On 4 January 2010, the Burj Khalifa's official launch ceremony was held and the building was opened. Formerly known as Burj Dubai, it was renamed at the opening. It forms part of the 2 km² Downtown Dubai development at the 'First Interchange' along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district. When it opened, much of the building was still unfinished internally.

On 5 January 2010, an outdoor observation deck named At the Top opened on the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa, at 452 m (1,483 ft), offering visitors panoramic views of Dubai from one of the world's highest vantage points.

In January 2010, it was planned that the Burj Khalifa would receive its first residents in February 2010, though many parts of the building were still unfinished internally following its official opening.

The hotel inside the Burj Khalifa was supposed to open on 18 March 2010, but after several delays it finally opened to the public on 27 April 2010. By April 2010, the hotel and observation deck remained the only parts of the building open, as corporate suites and offices were delayed beyond their March target.

Image source: Armani

In June 2010, the Burj Khalifa received the 2010 'Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa' award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, recognizing its architectural and engineering excellence.

On 28 September 2010, the Burj Khalifa won the award for the best project of the year at the Middle East Architect Awards 2010, adding to its growing collection of honors. Some considered 'Building of the Century' a fitting title for the tower.

The inauguration of the Burj Khalifa was effectively completed when its last major planned facility became operational on 23 January 2011, making the tower fully functional roughly a year after its official opening. It has been the tallest building in the world since its complete inauguration in 2011.

By October 2012, developer Emaar reported that around 80% of the apartments in the Burj Khalifa were occupied, showing steady uptake of the residential units despite a slow start following the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession.

On 15 October 2014, the Burj Khalifa opened its 148th floor SKY level at 555 m (1,821 ft), giving it the highest observation deck in the world at that time.