Burj Khalifa: History and Construction Timeline (Photos)

  ![Day 0: site prep](https://2gbzzxp7mkrqpgpz.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/dubai-burj/day_0_construction_besement_00.webp)

  > A supertall is a choreography of concrete, rebar, wind, and human precision. The sequence mattered as much as the engineering.

  ## Overview

  From foundations in the desert to the final spire lift, this is how the world’s tallest tower came together.

  ### Timeline highlights

  - Groundbreaking and foundation works.  
  - Core climbs with self‑climbing formwork.  
  - Steel spire assembly and topping‑out.  
  - Cladding and commissioning.  

  ![Cranes at sunset](https://2gbzzxp7mkrqpgpz.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/dubai-burj/cranes_at_sunset_00.webp)

  ### Construction logic

  - Buttressed‑core sequencing to resist torsion during partial heights.  
  - Concrete pump records and night pours for temperature control.  
  - Logistics: a vertical factory of lifts, staging floors, and just‑in‑time material flow.  

  > The final meters of the spire were completed at winds that would ground most cranes.

  #### People behind the project

  - Developers, architects, engineers, and the crews who scaled the sky daily.  
  - Safety systems and schedules that kept a vertical factory running.  

  ### Legacy

  - A template for supertalls in challenging climates.  
  - A global icon that redefined Dubai’s skyline.  

  ![Workers at the top](https://2gbzzxp7mkrqpgpz.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/dubai-burj/workers_on_top_00.webp)