Dubai tower

The iconic skyline silhouette of the world-famous CN Tower, long billed as the tallest free-standing structure in the world, has been eclipsed by a new Middle Eastern monolith.Burj Dubai, a soaring Y-shaped needle of glass and stainless steel, is now two metres taller than the 553-metre downtown Toronto tower that guards the Lake Ontario shoreline, the developer, Emaar Properties, said in a release Thursday.The building, slated to have an interior designed by Giorgio Armani, also has scaled 150 livable levels, the largest number of storeys for any building in the world.Burj Dubai had already beaten Taipei 101, which at 508 metres has been holding the tallest-building title since it opened in 2004."Burj Dubai is setting new world records in construction of super tall buildings, and the accomplishment of being the world’s tallest free-standing structure is another defining moment," said Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar.While calling the Dubai feat "a commendable engineering achievement," CN Tower’s chief operating officer, Jack Robinson, pointed out that the CN Tower is "much more than just a tall building.""When the time comes and the building is complete, we will congratulate the Burj Dubai project on their unique achievement," Robinson said."For now, we remain proud of the 30-year-plus record Canada’s National Tower has held as the world’s tallest, and will continue to celebrate the architectural marvel and wonder that the CN Tower represents to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the rest of the world."The Burj Dubai project was launched in 2004 as part of a US$20-billion, 200-hectare downtown development billed as the most prestigious square kilometre on earth.The tower’s planned height is a closely guarded secret.But Emaar says when completed in 2009, Burj Dubai will be the tallest structure in the world in all four of the criteria listed by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago, the tower is being built by Samsung Corp. of South Korea.In addition to residential, commercial and retail components, Burj Dubai will also feature the world’s first Armani Hotel.Dubai is the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates.