Dubai's Burj 2020: World's highest observation deck

The developer of Burj 2020, billed to be the world’s tallest commercial building, plans to have a 360 degree observation deck on the topmost floor of the mega tall structure, Emirates 24|7 can reveal.

“I plan to build the topmost floor of the tower as a viewing deck.

“I realise that many of these decks worldwide do not offer 360 degree view, but this one will be an all-around viewing deck,” said Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).

“I plan to have an organic dome or semi-dome on the top so that one can walk around and wherever you stand there will be nothing blocking your view.

“It will not only maximise the efficiency of the deck, but also accommodate more people,” he added.

At the Top

Burj Khalifa, View from Observation Deck

‘At the Top’ is at 452 metres on the 828-metre Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest tower. Though bin Sulayem refused to disclose the height of the tower, he reiterated: “It will be the tallest commercial tower in the world and it won’t be far off from the height of Burj Khalifa.”

Canton Tower

Canton Tower: Pic credit: sanfamedia.com

Currently, Canton Tower, at 618 metres, is the world's third-tallest structure and home to the world's highest publicly accessible observation deck at 488 metres.

Shanghai World Financial Centre

Shanghai World Financial Center. Pic credit: Thierry Beauvier

The Shanghai World Financial Centre ranks second with its Skywalk 100, a 55-metre-long glass bridge which is 474 metres up the tower,.

The Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat data reveals that the 660-metres-high Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen, China, with 115 floors, is set to become the world’s tallest commercial tower in 2016.

But since the highest floor of Burj 2020 may be dedicated to an observation deck, the tower, which will overtake Ping An Finance Centre sometime before 2020, will also hold the record for housing the world’s highest observation deck.

Burj 2020

Burj 2020 is the centerpiece of the DMCC Business Park, which comprises over 12,000 square metres retail space, low-rise commercial space and a high-end hotel, sports facilities, large park areas and multi-storey car parking.

Emirates24|7 reported earlier that DMCC would engage service providers such as the Dubai Municipality, the Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority early this year to ensure a successful and timely delivery of the tower before 2020.

Revealing a few changes to their master plan, bin Sulayem said they have now doubled the number of parking bays from 5,000 to 10,000 considering the growing demand for tailor-made office space with plans afoot to link the business park to the nearest Dubai Metro station.

“We are looking at linking the business park to the closest Metro station. In fact, our new expansion will offer more office space than Dubai International Financial Centre and Trade Centre put together,” he added.

In July 2013, Emirates 24|7 reported that the commercial tower, not named then, could rival Burj Khalifa in terms of height.

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