Tall

"Architecture is not all about the design of the building and nothing else, it is also about the cultural setting and the ambience, the whole affair."

- Michael Graves

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

-Winston Churchill

"Don't clap too hard - it's a very old building."

-John Osborne



In the space of 48 hours, I visited two of the worlds' greatest human-made structures. They were extremely different in just about every aspect - design, material, location, purpose, history. Yet, both are beautiful, inspiring, enchanting, mysterious and famous. Both are in interesting parts of the world and both are written in the history books many times over.

The Burj Khalifa




From the 126th floor

It was with much fanfare that, when it opened earlier this year on the 4th January, the world's tallest building became known as the Burj Khalifa. Named after Sheikh Khalifa, ruler of the UAE, the Burj stands at a world record 828 metres tall (2717ft). The world watched as this marvel of modern technology and engineering was officially declared open for business.

Comparisons to other tall buildings

It holds the following records:

Tallest structure ever built: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m/2,121 ft)

Tallest freestanding structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m/1,815 ft)

Building with most floors: 160 (previously Willis Tower – 108)

Building with highest occupied floor in the world: 160th floor.

World's highest elevator installation, situated inside a rod at the very top of the building.

World's fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s) (previously Taipei 101 – 16.83 m/s)

Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft, previously Taipei 101 – 449.2 m/1,474 ft)

The first world's tallest structure in history to include residential space.

Highest outdoor observation deck in the world (124th floor) at 452 m (1,483 ft)

World's highest mosque (located on the 158th floor)

World's highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade, at a height of 512 m (1,680 ft)

World's highest swimming pool (76th floor)

World's highest nightclub (144th floor).

The Address Hotel opposite the Burj, is a huge structure in its own right. 'Lego' houses surround it.

It was with great anticipation then that I finally got an opportunity to visit the highest part open to the public - the 126th floor. The elevator moved skyward at 10 metres per second - and the ears popped all the way up. Upon stepping out, the outside balcony beckoned a look. Over the side was a small city that looked like lego pieces. The huge shopping mall directly next to the Burj was a small box. The large hotel opposite was a small building that seemed tiny compared to how I viewed it at ground level. I have seen documentaries about how they built the Burj - the concrete being pumped, the thousands of labourers who worked around the clock, the stages of construction, the heat endured to complete the seemingly impossible. Yet here it stands. And stands out. There are many tall buildings here in Dubai, but they all look insignificant compared to the Burj. Indeed, most of the buildings around the world would look ordinary....

If the Burj Khalifa were in Adelaide.....

A day later it was on to Athens, Greece, the site of one of the world's most important historical structures and one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements - the Parthenon. This was my second visit, but it is one of those places that is always awesomely breath-taking. It inspires deep thought and reflection - how did they build it 2500 years ago? How is it still (partly) standing after all this time. It has survived the Persian invasion and numerous upheavals since. It has survived the Nazis. It has survived decay and misuse. It has survived the weather and all the elements that nature has thrown its way. And it still stands.




The Parthenon - still standing


I find it hard to believe that something so important and significant has been allowed, over 2000 years, to be so weathered and beaten up. It is seemingly only now, in recent times, that care is taken to begin restoration. Indeed, much of the original building (what's left) has been replaced by replica parts, with the original pieces being placed in museums. I just wonder what people during the previous centuries were thinking. If more care had been taken then, surely less damage would have occurred.

As beaten up as it is, The Parthenon is still an amazing piece of history. It's one of those sights that you simply can't stop taking photos of. As I stood there marvelling and wondering, my mind began thinking of ancient times and what life was like back when it was a new building. This part of history is well documented, but to actually experience being there - I need a time machine!

Both buildinigs are icons. Both are places you can sit for hours and do nothing but look. I've spent many hours at both, in absolute awe. But somehow I keep going back to the Parthenon as my favourite of the two. Maybe I have become too spoilt by seeing the Burj every day from my bedroom window, or simply walking past it each time I go to the mall. Maybe those who live in Athens feel the same about the Parthenon, and that it's just another building. I wonder whether the Burj will stand for 2500 years and if so, will it have the same incredible stories to tell in the year 4500.