The World's Tallest Building

Imagine trying to build a tower so high it pokes right through the clouds, all while fierce desert winds try to blow it over! To pull off the impossible, architects looked to nature. They modeled the Burj Khalifa’s base in a "Y" shape, inspired by a desert flower called the Hymenocallis.

This clever floral shape keeps the massive skyscraper perfectly balanced, breaking up the wind so it won't topple over. Even so, if you stand at the absolute peak, you can feel the building swaying gently in the breeze!

The tower is so incredibly tall that taking the stairs would be a nightmare. Instead, visitors rocket up to the 124th-floor observation deck in super-powered elevators traveling an astonishing 10 meters per second.

How Is That Even Possible?

The spiraling, stepped design of the tower's exterior actually disrupts dangerous wind vortices. By preventing the wind from organizing into powerful gusts that could act against the building like a giant sail, the structure safely manages the extreme forces of gravity and desert wind shear.