When did the Burj Khalifa open?

Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in January 2004 and took about six years. It was originally to be called Burj Dubai but was renamed at the opening ceremony in honour of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. At 828 metres with more than 160 storeys, it smashed the previous height record held by Taipei 101. The tower was designed by the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with Adrian Smith as lead architect. Its Y-shaped floor plan was inspired partly by the desert flower Hymenocallis and helps reduce wind forces.