Pictures of Burj Al Arab, Dubai

The Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Burj Al Arab is managed by the Jumeirah Group and built by Said Khalil. It was designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC.[verification needed] At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the third tallest building used exclusively as a hotel; the Rose Tower, also in Dubai, has already topped Burj Al Arab's height at 333m. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the sail of a boat.

Construction:
Construction of Burj Al Arab began in 1994. It was built to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. Architect Tom Wright said "The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or symbolic statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with its Opera House, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become synonymous with the name of the country."

The architect and engineering consultant for the project was Atkins, the UK's largest multidisciplinary consultancy. The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts. The hotel cost $650 million to build.

Courtesy: wikipedia.org