Best and Top of Everything : October 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes

The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
Growing up I always wanted to be a chef, but I had one small, tiny thing stopping me from realising my dream….Fact: I was and still am a rubbish cook! I will literally burn water I am that bad! But there was one thing I did make as a small child that was wonderful, beautiful and made me think I could be the “Le Cordon Bleu” chef I always wanted to be. If only it wasn’t the easiest cake anyone could ever make. It’s kids baking time as I bring you…
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
10 – The original style of Hedgehog cake, the button back (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
9 – If my memory serves me right this was almost what my own cake looked like (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
8 – The road kill effect (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
7 – Making hedgehog cakes is a family matter! (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
6 –The Hedgerone Cake (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
5 – The White Looks Alright! (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
4 – Can you imagine their little faces with that “SURPRISE” look at the party!? (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
3 – The Hedgehog Cake with extra Perm! (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
2 – The Real Mccoy. (source)
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
The World’s Top 10 Best Ever Hedgehog Cakes
1 – The Prickly Flake Effect(source)

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Top 10 Biggest Superyachts in the World

They say sailing is a “rich man’s sport,” and they are totally right.  In this age of steam ships, flying machines and matter transporters, sailboats have become simultaneously the slowest and most expensive way to get anywhere – which is, we guess, something of an impressive feat.


Still, the sport continues, because it’s awesome.  Some have worked to make ships faster, and others have worked to make ships cooler.  But there are a select few with an even nobler vision: making those damn things huge.  Below are the top ten biggest sailboats ever built.

10.  The Creole

Creole

Specs:

Schooner

LOA -214.24 feet

Beam -30.97 feet

Draft -16.4 feet

Speed – 10 knots cruising, 14.5 knots max speed.

The Creole has one hell of a history.  Built in 1926, it was struck with two pretty bad omens straight out the box: the owner died of tuberculosis, and the attempted christening (in which a bottle of champagne is smashed on the bow) took three failed tries before it succeeded.  In response to these, its masts were gimped, and its hulls were stuffed with extra ballast, because apparently they decided that heavier hull + less sail area = profit.  They were wrong — the Creole, as originally built, kinda sucked.

That all turned around exactly a decade later, when it was refitted as a proper racing yacht, and managed to build quite a reputation at British regattas until the start of World War II, when it was drafted as a minehunter.  She survived the war and, despite being frequently abandoned and refitted, continues sailing to this day.

9.  Aglaia

Aglaia

Specs:

Sloop

LOA -217 feet

Beam - 33 feet

Draft -30 feet

Speed – 13 knots max speed

Completed in April of 2011, details on the ultra-modern Aglaia are still shrouded in secrecy.  We do know that she was designed by Dubois Naval Architects, and features one of the largest composite rudders ever built, but not much else has been made public.  Thirteen knots of top speed seem a bit low to us, given her lines and a “daggerboard” keel that can slide up and down, as well as a mast that reaches 262 feet above the deck.  If she has 2,730 square meters of sail area, we’re gonna bet that she can get up to 20 knots, barring some huge design flaw that we don’t know about.

8.  Hetairos III

Hetairos III

Specs:

Ketch

LOA -219 feet

Beam - 34 feet

Draft - 29.5 feet

Crew – 10

Designed by Dykstra & Partners, and built by the world-famous Baltic Yachts, Hetairos III is a bold take on the superyacht.  Though modeled with classic lines, she’s actually built from the latest high-tech lightweight materials, and is the largest yacht ever built from carbon-fiber composite.

Completed just last year, she’s already participated in the 2012 Superyacht Cup, which was held just before the Summer Olympics in London.  She didn’t win, but the mere fact she competed, while still effectively in boat-diapers, is a feat in and of itself.

7.  Vertigo

Vertigo

Specs:

Ketch

LOA- 220 Feet

Beam – 41.1 Feet

Draft – 16.5 Feet

There’s a point where a superyacht goes from “absurdly luxurious” to “I am a supervillian dictator”, and that point is somewhere around Vertigo.  Meticulous wood work, chrome fixtures, leather furnishing and sandblasted wood floors make this into a veritable sailing penthouse.  She has flatscreen TVs, more computer screens than we’d know what to do with, and even a gym.

When something has hydraulic-powered winches and a gym, we’re guessing at least two offices in the design department aren’t communicating.  Putting an exercise bike on the interior of that sailing ship is like putting a rowing machine on wheels and making your friend drag you around on his bicycle while you exercise.  Actually, that would be better because that bike machine isn’t even outside.  How do you build something with the express purpose of traveling to beautiful places, and then spend any time at all inside a room with a wall-size mirror, watching yourself exercise?

Okay, fine: we’re just really, really jealous, because we never exercise.  Moving on.

6.  Atlantic

Atlantic

Specs:

Three Mast Gaff-Rigged Schooner

LOA- 227.7 Feet

Beam - 29 Feet

Draft – 16 Feet

Atlantic is, hands down, one of the coolest ships on this list.  Built in 1903 in the Townsend and Downey shipyard by William Gardner, Atlantic quickly quickly began winning regattas despite her luxurious (and heavy) interior.  Her biggest claim to fame came just two years after she was built when, captained by America’s Cup winner Charlie Barr, she set the record for fastest transatlantic crossing by a mono-hull.  She held this record for nearly a hundred years and, to this day, it is the longest-held speed record in the history of yachting.

On January 30th, 1982, she was broken up in a storm at Newport News Boat Harbor, Virginia.  A full-size replica, commissioned by entrepreneur Ed Kastelein, was completed in June of 2010.  We don’t really have any jokes about this ship, because she’s just gorgeous, and we don’t like to make fun of gorgeous things.  We like to follow them around, acting like their friend, helping them with their homework and promising ourselves that someday — someday — they’ll see.


friendzone

That stupid ocean doesn’t appreciate you, Jennifer…er, Atlantic!  Let’s watch Gilmore Girls reruns.

5.  Phocea

Phocea

Specs:

Ketch

Length – 246 Feet

Beam – 31.4 Feet

Draft – 20.5 Feet

Crew – 15

Max Speed Under Sail – 18 Knots

Launched in 1976, the Phocea was the longest sailing ship in the world until 2004, when she was crushed by the current leader, who we’ll be introducing you to shortly.

Her stocky design and numerous masts give her the kind of ridiculous luxury you’ve come to expect on this list: bathtubs you can drown small countries in, and dinner tables reminiscent of the Hogwarts dining hall, are just the beginning.  Featuring wood paneling and furniture by David Linley, her $17 million refit in 1997 actually won awards for being so awesome.  The refit, that is — the boat itself has never technically won anything.

4.  Mirabella V

Mirabella V

Specs:

Sloop

Length – 247 Feet

Beam – 48.6 Feet

Draft – 33 Feet

Crew – 16

Max Speed Under Sail – Over 20 knots.

We’re gonna list some basic facts here, in no particular order, about the Mirabella V:

- Her mast (the largest in the world) is twice the height of Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square, with a compression load of 440 tons.

- She is wider than a Royal Navy Type-42 Destroyer.

- It is physically impossible for her to pass under any bridge that she can navigate to.

- She has the largest jib (foresail/genoa) ever built at 19,730 square feet. According to designer Luciana Vittoria, one of the biggest challenges was finding ropes strong enough to control it.

The reason for all this superlative is that despite the fact that Mirabella V is only number 4 on our last, she has a sloop rig (the largest in the world), meaning she has only one mast with one mainsail and two jibs (despite this, she is not technically a cutter rig due the placement of her mast), while most boats this size spread the pressure out over several masts with multiple sails on each.

To give you a sense of what this means, practically, if you were holding on to the starboard jib sheet while Mirabella V traveling at a 90 degree angle to the wind and you got hit with, say, a ten knot gust, then your arms would, scientifically speaking, stop existing.

3.  The Maltese Falcon

Maltese Falcon

Specs:

Free Standing Full Rig

LOA – 289 Feet

Beam – 41 Feet

The Maltese Falcon’s rig is either a marvel of modern technology or an affront to God, depending on your perspective.  Most ships of any size will displace the massive pressure put on the sails through a network of steel or carbon fiber rigging.  This ambitious superyacht, on the other hand, built three full-rigged free-standing masts in its place.  They not only withstand huge amounts of pressure in one of the least structurally sound shapes imaginable, but can even rotate, demanding that the sails be trimmed with knobs and touch-screen computers.  The carbon-fiber masts are so big that, during construction, the owner claimed to be the second biggest purchaser of carbon fiber in the world, surpassed only by the US Air Force.  When asked how much it cost to build, owner Tom Perkins got all shy and blustery and wouldn’t get anymore specific than “between 150 and 300 million,” because he didn’t want to be seen as a greedy, egotistical d-bag.

tom-perkins

Bit late for that, dude.

This design is actually based on a 1970′s German design called Dynaship, which was a sort of panicked pie-in-the-sky effort to come up with a viable alternative to diesel-powered cargo ships in the event that the oil ran out. It proved unworkable back then, and it wasn’t until the construction of the Falcon that it was proven effective.  Due to the success of the Falcon, more ideas are materializing.

2.  Athena

Athena

Specs:

Gaff Rigged Schooner

LOA – 295

Beam – 40 Feet

Draft – 19 Feet

Max Speed Under Sail – 20+ knots

This boat is so silly it’s steered by a damn joystick.  On-board SCUBA locker with tank-filling facility, and a lazarette big enough for a decompression chamber?  Yes, that too.  The chefs have one of the most complete food service facilities found on any private yacht.  It also has specs, you guys, like so many specs.  All the comic conventions in the world couldn’t produce this many specs.

1.  Eos

Eos

Specs:

Three Mast Bermuda Rigged Schooner

LOA – 305 Feet

Beam - 44.2 Feet

Draft- 18 feet

Eos is an absolutely gorgeous aluminum sailing ship owned by a really rich dude, and it’s really luxurious and has a glass staircase and blah blah blah whatever, let’s cut to chase: is Eos the biggest sailing ship in the world?

The answer is… maybe.  Though Eos is slightly beamier (wider), the Maltese Falcon has a longer waterline.  Eos has a longer Length Over All (LOA), but only if you count the bowsprit (Athena doesn’t win because either way, it falls into second place).  Different “yachting experts” have come out on both sides, so where does that leave us?

Well, TopTenz consulted our in-house sailing expert, and we came to a simple conclusion: It’s Eos. It’s Eos because yes, guys, the bowsprit totally counts.  Why the hell wouldn’t it?  A ship’s LOA tells you more about it than any other single number.  A windsurfer has more sail area than a laser, but no one argues that a windsurfer is bigger.  Weight is a silly measurement to use, because of the inherent difference between a carbon fiber yacht and a steel one.

In closing, length counts.  Bowsprits are awesome.  Eos wins.


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Top 10 Things That Haven’t Changed In 100 Years

No doubt about it, we live in a world of rapid change. Whereas a century ago, our grandparents and great grandparents were still getting around in a horse and buggy, and reading newspapers as their only source of information and entertainment, today we fly in supersonic transports and get our news and entertainment from the Internet-things that would have been inconceivable 100 years ago.

But not everything has changed so radically; actually, there are a number of devices we still use today that hasn’t changed all that much in 100 years in basic function and operation. What are these devices? Below are my top ten choices for those things we still use today that wouldn’t have been all that unfamiliar to our fore-bearers in 1912.

10.  The Train

then-now-train
We often fail to appreciate just how timeless an invention the locomotive was, nor are many people aware of how much it still operates as it did in olden days. Of course, steam has been replaced by safer, cleaner, and more economical diesel engines, but the fact remains that trains are still doing the same thing they’ve been doing since the mid-nineteenth century, and doing it in much the same way. Even the steel rails they ride on today are indistinguishable from those of a century ago. The one big change has been in payload; a century ago, trains mainly transported people; today, 90 percent of their load is ore or produce. Yet they keep on chuggin’ along.

9.  Landline Telephones

phones-then-and-now
Obviously the advent of the cell phone is radically changing the way people contact each other, but the old landline is still alive and well, and hard to match in terms of clarity and reliability (when’s the last time you lost a signal on your land-line or accidentally dropped it into the pool?) The interesting thing is that it still functions precisely the way it did a century ago; the only significant change being the ability to dial the number directly rather than having to go through a switchboard operator. Also, telephone and electrical lines are still attached to wooden poles, just as they have been since the advent of the telegraph during the Civil War, demonstrating that sometimes the old ways of doing things are still the best.

8.  The Rifle

rifle-then-and-now
Once the shell cartridge and barrel rifling was perfected in the late nineteenth century, the modern rifle was essentially complete, with few changes, other than increasing the rate of fire, being necessary. As such, the modern, bolt-action rifle and chamber-firing revolver are essentially unchanged from their predecessors, and operate exactly the same way they did for great granddad. In fact, other than the advent of the semi and fully-automatic mechanisms, and vast improvements in sighting (i.e. scopes), a hunter from 1912 would have no trouble using a modern rifle (beyond bemoaning their lower quality construction.)

7.  The Iron

iron-then-and-now
Let’s face it—there simply isn’t a way to make ironing wrinkly clothes any easier. Yes, you’ve got electric plug-in irons today rather than stove heated ones, and you have that neat little button on top that shoots out sprits of steam but, beyond that, ironing is still the same tedious art form it has always been. In some ways, it’s even more of a challenge today, with that always-too-short cord getting in the way or failing to reach far enough. Even the professional dry cleaners haven’t changed their methodology all that much; the chemicals they use nowadays may be different but the process—and the results—are still the same.

6.  Books

books-then-and-now
Many have predicted the demise of books since the advent of the computer, and Kindle and other downloadable reading devices are in the process of changing the publishing industry, but the fact is that nothing beats the good old paperback in terms of portability. Also, you can’t get your favorite author to sign an e-book, nor can you underline important points or scribble stuff in the margins with a Kindle.

And what happens if the power grid goes out or someone steals your reader? You lose your entire library! That’s why the printed book will never entirely die—it’s just too necessary! And the beauty of it is that books haven’t changed much in terms of how they are produced since Gutenberg printed a few dozen bibles way back when.

5.  The Automobile

car-then-and-now
This is a controversial selection since few can argue that the modern automobile is a far cry from the Model T of 1912, but how different is it really? Certainly the basic function of the combustion engine has not changed, nor has the way one operates an automobile. Ford’s rickety cars had transmissions, clutches, brakes, headlights, left-handed steering, and everything else we still see today. Obviously the technology has improved dramatically, and great grandpa never had the luxury of having a radio, a heater, or cup holders, but the basic modus operandi of the automobile itself remains largely indistinguishable from 1912 and probably won’t become truly different until they learn to fly—or at least hover.

4.  The Sailboat

sailboats-then-and-now
Yes, canvas has been replaced with stronger and lighter nylon, and wooden hulls and masts have been supplanted by fiberglass or aluminum, but the basic idea remains the same: harness the wind to move large vessels across the water with minimal effort and cost. Even their sleek lines haven’t changed all that much, nor has their means of operation. Really, there is just no way to improve on a good idea, making the sailboat one of the most timeless inventions in human history.

3.  Musical Instruments

mandolin-then-and-now
Despite the introduction of different materials and electronics to music (i.e. the keyboard and the electric guitar) musical instruments have changed little over the last century, which is why the piano, guitar, mandolin,violin, drums, trumpet, saxophone—you name it—are still made and performed much the way they did in 1912 (or 1812, for that matter). While music itself has changed dramatically (though not always for the better), the raw noise that comes out of these instruments, and the way they are played, remains timeless. Even the way the best hand-made instruments are manufactured is a throwback to an earlier era, when there was no substitute for skill and patience, and people took pride in crafting a quality musical instrument.

2.  The Incandescent Light Bulb

lightbulbs-then-and-now
Ever since Edison produced his first practical light bulb way back in 1880, not much has changed with the overall construction. It looks the same, functions the same and, allowing for inflation, costs much the same as it did in 1912. Less energy-efficient than the newer fluorescent and LED lights, however, the incandescent may not be around much longer, and is, in fact, slated to be phased out of production in the United States in 2014.  Which is too bad because, since the older bulbs often used heavier filaments, they were more robust and therefore long-lasting, making them superior in some ways than their modern counterparts.

1.  The Flush Toilet

toilet-then-and-now
Perfected in the late-nineteenth century, this hallmark of civilization has remained largely unchanged since its inception (or, one might surmise, its perfection) in roughly 1880. The basic mechanism inside the tank may be made out of plastic instead of rust-prone metal, but one of the great innovators of the modern toilet, Thomas Crapper, would still recognize the thing and appreciate it for the remarkable piece of engineering it remains to this day. One of the few truly indispensable devices they got right the first time, the immortal porcelain throne has stood the test of time very well, thank you.
Jeff Danelek is a Denver, Colorado author who writes on many subjects having to do with history, politics, the paranormal, spirituality and religion. To see more of his stuff, visit his website at www.ourcuriousworld.com.   

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the World 2012

Top 10 worlds tallest buildings in 2012. Skyscrapers are becoming a toy game in the ever growing world. With the advancement in technology and equipment, the man kind in trying to reach the sky with the help of mere bricks.

In this post, you will see the list of top 10 world's tallest skyscrapers as of now.

10. GUANGZHOU INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CENTER


General information
TypeMixed use
LocationGuangzhou, China


Construction startedDecember 2005
Completed2010
Opening2010
CostGBP £ 280 million (project total)
Height
Architectural438.6 m (1,439 ft)
Roof437.5 m (1,435 ft)
Top floor415.1 m (1,362 ft)
Observatory415.1 m (1,362 ft)
Technical details
Floor count103 (4 basement floors)
Floor area250,095 m2 (2,692,000 sq ft)
Elevators71
Design and construction
ArchitectWilkinson Eyre
References

9. KINGKEY 100




General information
StatusComplete
TypeHotel / Office
LocationShenzhen
China


Construction started2007
CompletedSeptember 2011
Opening2011
Height
Architectural441.8 metres (1,449 ft)
Top floor427.1 metres (1,401 ft)
Observatory427.1 metres (1,401 ft)
Technical details
Floor count100
Floor area220,000 square metres (2,368,060 sq ft)
Elevators66
Design and construction
OwnerKingkey Group
ArchitectTerry Farrell and Partners
Structural engineerArup

8. WILLIS TOWER (SEARS TOWER )



Former namesSears Tower

Record height
Tallest in the world from 1973 to 1998
Preceded byOne World Trade Center(1971)
Surpassed byPetronas Twin Towers
General information
TypeOffice, observation, communication
Location233 S. Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
United States


Construction started1970
Completed1973
Height
Architectural442.1 m (1,450 ft)
Tip527 m (1,729 ft)
Top floor412.7 m (1,354 ft)
Technical details
Floor count108 (+3 basement floors)
Floor area416,000 m2 (4,477,800 sq ft)
Elevators104, with 16 double-decker elevators, made by Westinghouse, modernized by Schindler Group
Design and construction
ArchitectSkidmore, Owings and Merrill (Fazlur Khan & Bruce Graham)

7. ZIFENG TOWER



General information
StatusComplete
TypeMixed use
LocationNanjing, China


Construction started2005
Completed2009
Opening18 December 2010
Height
Architectural450 m (1,480 ft)
Roof381 m (1,250 ft)
Top floor316.6 m (1,039 ft)
Observatory271.8 m (892 ft)
Technical details
Floor count66 (+5 basement floors)
Elevators54
Design and construction
ArchitectAdrian Smith at SOM
Structural engineerSkidmore, Owings and 

6. PETRONAS TOWER



General information
TypeCommercial offices
LocationJalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


Groundbreaking1 January 1992
Construction started1 March 1993
Completed1 April 1994
Inaugurated1 August 1999
Renovated1 January 1997
CostUS$1.6 billion
Height
Architectural451.9 m (1,483 ft)
Roof378.6 m (1,242 ft)
Top floor375 m (1,230 ft)
Technical details
Floor count88 (+5 basement floors)
Floor area395,000 m2 (4,252,000 sq ft)
Elevators78
Design and construction
OwnerKLCC Holdings Sdn Bhd
ArchitectCésar Pelli
DeveloperKLCC Holdings Sdn Bhd
Structural engineerThornton Tomasetti
Main contractorTower1: Hazama Corporation
Tower2: Samsung Engineering & Constructionand Kukdong Engineering & Construction
City Center: B.L. Harbert International

5. INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE CENTER



General information
StatusComplete
TypeHotel, observation, office, parking garage, retail
LocationHong Kong West Kowloon, Hong Kong


Construction started2002
Completed2010
Opening2010
Height
Architectural484.0 m (1,587.9 ft)
Top floor118
Observatory387.8 m (1,272.3 ft)
Technical details
Floor count108
Floor area274,064 m2 (2,950,000 sq ft)
Elevators
  • 30 passenger lifts
  • 14 shuttle lifts
  • 2 VIP lifts
Design and construction
ManagementKai Shing Management Services Limited
Architect
  • United States Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (design)
  • Belt Collins & Associates (landscape)
  • Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd.
DeveloperSun Hung Kai Properties
Structural engineerUnited Kingdom Arup
Main contractorSanfield Building Contractors Limited

4. SHANGHAI WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER



General information
StatusComplete
TypeOffice, hotel, museum, observation, parking garage, retail
Location100 Century Avenue, Pudong,Shanghai, China


Construction started1997
Completed2008
OpeningAugust 28, 2008
CostRMB ¥ 8.17 billion
(USD $ 1.20 billion)
Height
Architectural492.0 m (1,614.2 ft)
Tip494.3 m (1,621.7 ft)
Roof487.4 m (1,599.1 ft)
Top floor474.0 m (1,555.1 ft)
Observatory474 m (1,555.1 ft)
Technical details
Floor count101
Floor area381,600 m2 (4,107,500 sq ft)
Elevators91
Design and construction
OwnerShanghai World Financial Center Co., Ltd.
ArchitectKohn Pedersen Fox
DeveloperMori Building Co.
Structural engineerLeslie E. Robertson Associates RLLP
Main contractorChina State Construction Engineering Corp and Shanghai Construction (Group) General Co.

3. TAIPEI 101




General information
TypeMixed use: communication, conference, fitness center, library, observation, office, restaurant, retail
LocationXinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan


Construction started1999
Completed2004
OpeningDecember 31, 2004
CostNT$ 58 billion
(US$ 1.80 billion)
Height
Architectural509 m (1,669.9 ft)
Roof449.2 m (1,473.8 ft)
Top floor439 m (1,440.3 ft)
Observatory391.8 m (1,285.4 ft)
Technical details
Floor count101 (+5 basement floors)
Floor area193,400 m2 (2,081,700 sq ft)
Elevators61 Toshiba/KONE elevators, including double-deck shuttles and 2 high speed observatory elevators)
Design and construction
OwnerTaipei Financial Center Corporation
ManagementUrban Retail Properties Co.
ArchitectC.Y. Lee & partners
Structural engineerThornton Tomasetti
Main contractorSamsung C&T

2. ABRAJ AL BAIT TOWERS


General information
StatusTopped-out
TypeMixed use:
hotel, residential
LocationMecca, Saudi Arabia


Construction started2004
Opening2012
Height
Architectural601 m (1,972 ft)
Top floor558.7 m (1,833 ft)
Observatory558.7 m (1,833 ft)
Technical details
Floor count120 
Floor areaTower: 310,638 m2 (3,343,680 sq ft)
Development: 1,575,815 m2(16,961,930 sq ft)
Design and construction
ArchitectDar Al-Handasah Architects
Main contractorSaudi Binladin Group

1. BURJ KHALIFA



Former namesBurj Dubai

General information
StatusComplete
TypeMixed-use
LocationDubai, United Arab Emirates


Construction startedJanuary 2004
Completed2010
Opening4 January 2010
CostUSD $ 1.5 billion
Height
Architectural828 m (2,717 ft)
Tip829.84 m (2,723 ft)
Roof828 m (2,717 ft)
Top floor584.5 m (1,918 ft)
Observatory452.1 m (1,483 ft)
Technical details
Floor count163 floors
plus 46 maintenance levels in the spire and 2 parking levels in the basement
Floor area309,473 m2 (3,331,100 sq ft)
Design and construction
ArchitectAdrian Smith at SOM
DeveloperEmaar Properties
Structural engineerBill Baker at SOM
Main contractorSamsung C&T, Besix and Arabtec
Supervision Consultant Engineer & Architect of Record Hyder Consulting
Construction Project ManagerTurner Construction
Grocon
Planning Bauer AG and Middle East Foundations
Lift contractor Otis
VT consultant Lerch Bates
Hope you enjoyed the list of world's currently tallest buildings. Thanks for viewing.
Source: Wiki