You would think that since man began constructing buildings, commercial properties and serviced offices, he would have set his sites on creating the most comfortable space possible.
But no, man has always strived to build the highest building. Since the dawn of history (well, the dawn of construction history) man has been trying to build the tallest building, tallest tower, or tallest structure in the world. There seems to be a huge amount of prestige in being home to the worlds tallest. In fact this is a major issue on the political agenda of many countries. Many towers claim the title and many cities quarrel about who is the winner.
The first skyscraper in the world was built in Chicago, named the Home Insurance Building. Before the first skyscraper was built, people were worried about the elevators and were afraid that they would fall.
The building of tall structures was advanced further, when a man named William LeBaron Jenney discovered a way to use steel beams for the skeleton of the building. This was at a time when all other buildings used bricks for both the inside and out.
The Home Insurance Building was completed in 1885, but sadly it was demolished in 1931. The Home Insurance Building was 10 stories high and it was 138 feet tall, made out of steel and the outer facing material was bricks.
The world’s current tallest building, running out at more than 2500 ft high is the Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai. Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it is the tallest man-made structure ever built, at 828 m (2,717 ft).
Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009 and the building officially opened on 4 January 2010. The building is part of the 2 km (490-acre) flagship development called Downtown Burj Khalifa.
Located in the heart of Dubai’s business district, the Burj Kahlifa may well be home to the world’s premier serviced office space. I’d love an office there, or even better – transplant the building to London and on a clear day you could see France.
