World's Tallest Building Takes Shape Along the Persian Gulf

When it is finished in 2009, the Burj Dubai megascraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates will rise 2,034 feet to its roof and 2,650 feet (815 meters) to the tip of its spire. The tower is designed by Adrian D. Smith of Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the legendary Chicago design firm which has created some of the planet's most iconic skyscrapers including the one-time world's tallest, The Sears Tower.

Skidmore Owings' involvement with the Burj Dubai is ironic as the city of Chicago proudly claimed bragging rights as home to the tallest building for more than twenty years. Chicago will continue its rich history of skyscraper landmarks with construction of the 150-floor "Chicago Spire" which will be the first free-standing structure in North America to top 2,000 feet. But thanks to the Burj Dubai, reclaiming the "world's tallest" title is somewhat of a pipe dream for the Windy City as ever taller buildings are in the works for Dubai and other Asian cities.

The majestic glass tower rises just a scant 859 miles from war-torn Baghdad illustrating the deep gulch between prosperity and destitution that exists in the region. The tower itself is the brainchild of EMAAR Properties, a public joint stock company which specializes in real estate, as the centerpiece of a development that includes the world's largest mall.

Perhaps what's most amazing about the Burj Dubai and its surroundings is that the project (one of the largest the world has ever seen) is not the least bit out-of-place in Dubai which just twenty years ago was a dusty port city with not a single high-rise to speak of. But starting with the Burj Al Arab, a 1,000-foot sail-shaped luxury hotel built in 1999 on a small man-made island, the city has birthed ever more audacious mega-projects. In less than ten years, Dubai has added a forest of skyscrapers to rival the skylines of New York City, Chicago and Hong Kong. And the building trend there shows no signs of slowing down.

One wonders what the future holds for Dubai, not just in terms of growth and audacity, but as a symbol for the tumultuous Middle East itself. Will the gleaming, glass city be a tempting target for political radicals? Or will it inspire the kind of awe and admiration that propels the region forward. One thing is clear, with the flat landscape which surrounds the Persian Gulf, the Burj Dubai will be a beacon visible from incredible distances.

And something truly wonderful to behold.