At the Top (Burj Khalifa)

Burj Khalifa observation deck

View of The Dubai Fountain from the observation deck View from the observation deck

At The Top, Burj Khalifa is a series of observation decks on the 124th and 125th floors of the Burj Khalifa which opened to the public on 5 January 2010. At 452 m (1,483 ft), it boasted the highest manmade observation deck in the world at the time[1] [2][3] This record was subsequently broken and regained twice with the respective openings of the At The Top, Burj Khalifa SKY and The Lounge, Burj Khalifa levels.

The 124th floor observation deck features augmented reality telescopes developed by Gsmprjct° of Montréal, which allows visitors to view the surrounding landscape in real-time, and to view previously saved images such as those taken at different times of day, under different weather conditions, and a historical view taken by helicopter from before the tower's completion.[4][5][6] To moderate the amount of crowding, entrance tickets are sold in limited quantities by specific dates and times. Once inside, there is no limit to the length of stay, but there is also no reentry privilege.[7]

On 8 February 2010, the observation deck was closed to the public for two months after power-supply problems caused an elevator to become stuck between floors, trapping a group of tourists for 45 minutes.[8][9][10][11][12]

When the tide is low and visibility is high, it may be possible to see the shores of Iran from the top of the skyscraper.[13]

## At The Top SKY and The Lounge

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148th floor Observation Deck

In 2014, At The Top opened its premium SKY level at 555 m (1,821 ft) on the 148th floor, allowing Burj Khalifa to recover its title for highest observation deck in the world,[14][15][4] which it had lost in 2011 to Cloud Top 488 in the Canton Tower, Guangzhou.[16] SKY held this record until the Top of Shanghai in Shanghai Tower opened in 2016 at a height of 562 m (1,844 ft).[17] Burj Khalifa then regained the title of highest observation deck in 2019 at 585 m (1,919 ft) upon opening of The Lounge in the tower's topmost habitable floors 152 through 154.[18][19]

Both SKY and The Lounge offer a more luxurious experience with light refreshments, additional seating, and an outdoor deck of their own, with The Lounge further offering complimentary canapés and cocktails for purchase.[20][21] Entry into either level is likewise one-time, but also includes entry to the levels below on the way out.

124th floor

## References

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1. ^ "Burj Dubai Observation Deck Opens to The Public On Jan 5". Bayut.com. 4 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
2. ^ Pitrelli, Monica Buchanan (July 20, 2020). "What to expect from the world's top attractions in the age of coronavirus". CNBC.
3. ^ Bloom, Laura Begley. "Bucket List Travel: The Top 50 Places In The World In 2021". Forbes.
4. ^ a b "Augmented Reality – gsmprjct°". gsmprjct°. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
5. ^ "At the Top, Burj Khalifa". gsmprjct°. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
6. ^ "Une firme québécoise dans la plus haute tour du monde". Journal de Montréal (in French). 4 January 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
7. ^ "At The Top Visitor Information". Retrieved 13 September 2024.
8. ^ "Emaar Says Burj Khalifa Observation Deck Closed for Maintenance". Bloomberg. 8 February 2010. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
9. ^ Tomlinson, Hugh (10 February 2010). "Terrifying lift ordeal at Burj Khalifa tower, the world's tallest building". The Times. UK. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
10. ^ "World's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, reopens observation deck". The Guardian. UK. 5 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
11. ^ "Burj Khalifa observation deck reopens". GulfNews.com. 5 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
12. ^ Rackl, Lori (5 April 2010). "Machu Picchu and Burj Khalifa back in biz". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
13. ^ "The View From Dubai". The New York Times. 6 October 2013.
14. ^ Willett-Wei, Megan. "Dubai's Burj Khalifa Now Has The Highest Observation Deck In The World At 1,821 Feet, And It Looks Incredible". Business Insider.
15. ^ "Observation Deck | Burj Khalifa". August 29, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-08-29.
16. ^ "Cloud Top 488 on Canton Tower Opened to public". The People`s Government of Guangzhou Municipality. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
17. ^ "How the world's highest observation decks stack up". Los Angeles Times. March 12, 2020.
18. ^ "The Lounge, Burj Khalifa: The World's Highest Lounge". Retrieved 13 September 2024.
19. ^ "World's highest lounge opens in Dubai". TimeOut Dubai. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
20. ^ "At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY". Retrieved 13 September 2024.
21. ^ "The Lounge, Burj Khalifa". Retrieved 13 September 2024.

25°11′51″N 55°16′45″E﻿ / ﻿25.1975°N 55.2792°E﻿ / 25.1975; 55.2792