Burj Khalifa vs Merdeka 118
Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world since 2009, and Merdeka 118, the second tallest building in the world – both are examples of the dazzling beauty of modern construction. Burj Khalifa is situated in the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates while Merdeka 118 is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While Burj Khalifa stands with a height of 828 meters, Merdeka 118 is 149 meters shorter than Burj Khalifa i.e Merdeka 118 has a height of 679 meters. In this article, we will take a look at some interesting facts about these two supertall structures. Following are the comparisons between Burj Khalifa and Merdeka 118 (Burj Khalifa vs Merdeka 118).
Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa is a worldwide popular building since its competition. It has been holding the first rank in the list of the tallest buildings in the world from the year 2009. The building holds the record of being the tallest man-made building and also the tallest structure in the world. On 6th January 2004, the construction of the building was started in the heart of Dubai, the most popular city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In just five years only, this splendid structure was completed on 17th January 2009. On the date January 4, 2010, the record-breaker of man-made supertall structures, Burj Khalifa was inaugurated.
At the time of its construction, Burj Khalifa was called ‘Burj Dubai’. But in the honor of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and the second president of the United Arab Emirates, Burj Khalifa was officially named after him. According to an estimate, the construction cost of Burj Khalifa was 1.5 billion US dollars. Dubai received a lot of help in the construction of the building by borrowing money from the UAE and Abu Dhabi governments.
Dubai is a well-known place to people for its luxurious lifestyle, advanced technology, digital economy, and enchanting view of the city. But after the completion of Burj Khalifa, Dubai has got worldwide recognition. Every year, this magnificent skyscraper attracts millions of people all over the world and gains billions of US dollars from tourism.
The building consists of an architectural height of 828 meters or 2717 ft along with an antenna spire at the top. Up to the tip, it is 829.8 meters or 2722 ft tall. Burj Khalifa is a multipurpose building that is used for commercial and residential purposes too. There is a total of 154 floors plus 9 maintenance floors in it. The top floor is located at a height of 585.4 meters or 1921 ft.
To fulfill the travel requirements of the tourists and the inhabitants of the tower, the building is featured 57 elevators and 8 escalators. There is a massive floor area of 309,473 m2 (3,331,100 sq ft) in this tower. Reinforced concrete and high-quality structural steel and aluminium provide the building with an initial strong foundation.
The architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is responsible for the excellent design of Burj Khalifa. Adrian Smith and Bill Baker was the main architect and structural engineer respectively. Neo-futurism is the architectural style of this skyscraper. The main contractor of Burj Khalifa was Samsung C&T. The owner and the developer of this beauty of construction is the Emaar Properties which is one of the greatest real estate companies in the world established by Mr. Mohamed Alabbar in 1977. The entry fee for Burj Khalifa is 76.48 US dollars.
There are two observation decks in this building. One can enjoy the luxurious and glamorous view of the city of Dubai from the observation decks. On 5th January 2010, an observation deck called ‘At the top’ was opened at a height of 452 meters (1483 ft) on the 124 floors of the building. Since its opening, it has been the tallest outdoor observation deck in the world.
But in December 2011, the observation deck of Canton Tower named ‘Cloud Top 488’ suppressed it at a height of 488 meters. Again on 15th October 2014, Burj Khalifa launched a new observation deck at a level of 555 meters. Then it remained the highest observation deck in the world until the opening of Shanghai Tower with the highest observation deck in the world at a height of 561 meters.
Just at the foot of Burj Khalifa, there is the world’s largest man-made fountain. This 270 m long fountain is located on the man-made Dubai Lake. It is displayed with 6600 lights and 50 colored projectors along with some Arabic and other music. The estimated cost of this beautiful fountain was 217 million US dollars and it was designed by WET Enterprises.
Merdeka 118
Merdeka 118 is presently the second tallest building in the world as well as the tallest building in Southeast Asia. This recently topped-out building is located in Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The building is named for Malaysia’s Merdeka Day or the Independence Day of Malaysia. There are very few alternative names for this building such as – Merdeka PNB 118, Warisan Merdeka Tower, 118 Tower and KL 118. On July 3, 2014, the construction work of the building began and it is expected to be open before the end of 2022.
It is a 118-storey building that has a height of 678.9 meters or 2227 ft. There are 5 more underground floors in this super tall structure. With a shopping complex, offices, residential properties, hotels and an observation deck in it, the building is used for multi-purposes. The top floor of Merdeka 118 is located at a level of 515.3 meters or 1619 ft. The building has two observation decks in it. The first one is at a height of 515.3 meters and the second one is located in a spire at a height of 566 meters.
There are 87 elevators in the building with an extensive floor area of 2,92,000 m2 (3,140,000 sq ft). The building gets an initial strong foundation from reinforced concrete and concrete-encased steel. Architect Fender Katsalidis in association with RSP KL designed the building in Neo-futurism & Malay traditional songket pattern. The estimated cost of the building is 1.5 billion US dollars. Besides the developer of the building, PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd is also the owner of it. The structural engineers of this mega-tall structure were Leslie E. Robertson Associates and Robert Bird Group in association with Arup. Samsung C&T and UEM Group were the main contractors behind the construction of the Merdeka 118.
FAQs
Is Merdeka 118 taller than Burj Khalifa?
Merdeka 118 is not taller than Burj Khalifa. It is 149 meters shorter than Burj Khalifa.
Why is it called Merdeka 118?
The building is named for the Merdeka Day of Malaysia and as it has 118 floors, it is called ‘Merdeka 118’.
Where is the 2nd tallest building in the world?
Merdeka 118, the 2nd tallest building in the world is situated in Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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