Future of Construction Burj Khalifa Case Study
Future of Construction Burj Khalifa Case Study
Future of Construction Burj Khalifa Case Study
Case Study prepared by the Boston Consulting Group as part of the Future
of Construction Project at the World Economic Forum
The new building, as imagined by Mohamed Alabbar, Three major themes characterized this flagship
the Founder and Chairman of Emaar Properties, would project: first, a highly experienced international
overtake the 449-metre record that was held by Taipei team, allowing effective knowledge transfer, diligent
101 in Taiwan. Alabbar’s masterplan was for a mixed- front-loaded planning and optimized logistics;
use super-high-rise, incorporating hotel accommodation, second, close and proactive collaboration with
private residential apartments and varied commercial innovative suppliers; and third, early engagement
premises – in short, an integrated vertical city, which with government and other major stakeholders.
would mark a new approach to the worldwide challenge
of mass urbanization and megacities. And what a The team
challenge that is: the outlook is that, by 2030, the Regarding the first theme, the developer Emaar Properties
world will have 41 megacities, each with more than put great effort into assembling a project team from across
10 million inhabitants; and, by 2050, two thirds of the the world, with both experience and expertise in super-
global population will live in cities. Urban centres are high-rise construction. The design was led by the Chicago-
going to have to build high – even higher than today based design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The
construction-management team from Turner International
– to accommodate their workforce and residents.
was brought onboard in 2003, very early in the planning
According to its advocates, the concept of vertical cities process. Turner’s main construction manager, David
will become a widespread reality: vertical cities reduce Bradford, had already been involved in the construction of
traffic and urban sprawl, by combining different usages Taipei 101, so was ideally positioned to plan and oversee
– living, working and leisure – within a single location. the highly complex construction logistics of Burj Khalifa.
1
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world”. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2017, from http://www.
thenational.ae/uae/tourism/dubais-burj-khalifa-one-of-top-selfie-hot-spots-
in-the-world.