Secret of Burj Dubai height revealed

Since its conception the final height of the Burj Dubai, the world's tallest tower, has been a closely guarded secret only to be revealed upon the skyscraper's completion.

But on Wednesday one of the architects behind the mega-project told Arabian Business the Burj Dubai was designed to be 808 metres tall.

Marshall Strabala, who worked as associate partner and lead designer for Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), said when he left the company in 2006 the skyscraper's final height was set to be 808 metres, or half a mile.

Strabala's remarks are the first time anyone involved in the project has revealed the planned height of the Burj Dubai, which developer Emaar Properties has only ever said would be "over 700 metres".

Secret of Burj Dubai height revealed - Real Estate - ArabianBusiness.com