Is the Burj Khalifa Taller Than the Empire State Building?

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is currently the tallest building in the world. The Empire State Building in New York was the tallest in the world from 1931 to 1972 and remains one of the most iconic skyscrapers ever built. So how do they compare today?

The Short Answer

Yes, the Burj Khalifa is dramatically taller than the Empire State Building. The Burj Khalifa stands 828 m (2,717 ft) tall. The Empire State Building stands 443 m (1,454 ft) tall to the tip of its antenna. The Burj Khalifa is approximately 1.87 times taller — nearly twice the height.

Side-by-Side Numbers

• Burj Khalifa height: 828 m (2,717 ft) including spire
• Burj Khalifa (roof): 739 m (2,425 ft)
• Empire State Building total: 443 m (1,454 ft) including antenna
• Empire State (roof): 381 m (1,250 ft)
• Difference: Burj Khalifa is 385 m taller
• Ratio: Burj Khalifa is ~1.87× the height of the Empire State Building

The Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa was completed in 2010 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 828 m, it is the tallest building in the world by every relevant measurement — height to architectural top, height to tip, and height to highest occupied floor. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), with chief architect Adrian Smith. The building has 163 occupied floors plus mechanical floors above. Total construction cost was about $1.5 billion.

The Burj Khalifa was originally to be called the Burj Dubai but was renamed to honor Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then-President of the UAE, after Abu Dhabi bailed out Dubai during the 2009 financial crisis. The building contains a mix of apartments, the Armani Hotel, corporate offices, and observation decks.

The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931, after being built in just 410 days during the Great Depression. At 381 m to the roof and 443 m to the antenna tip, it became the world's tallest building when completed, surpassing the recently-completed Chrysler Building. The Empire State held the world's-tallest title for nearly 40 years, until the World Trade Center's North Tower opened in 1972.

The building was designed in the Art Deco style by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. Construction employed about 3,400 workers at its peak. Five workers died during construction — a remarkably low number for the era. The building has 102 floors and 73 elevators. It remains a symbol of New York and Art Deco architecture, and was the tallest in New York until One World Trade Center was completed in 2014.

Engineering Differences

The two buildings represent vastly different engineering eras. The Empire State Building is a riveted steel frame structure clad in stone and brick, representing 1930s skyscraper technology. Its structural system uses traditional column-and-beam construction with wind bracing. The Burj Khalifa uses a "buttressed core" design — a hexagonal central core with three buttressing wings, allowing the building to taper as it rises while maintaining structural integrity. This Y-shaped plan was inspired by the Hymenocallis flower native to the region.

The Burj Khalifa's vertical pumping system was an engineering marvel. Concrete was pumped to record heights — over 600 m, the highest concrete pumping ever achieved at the time. The building's exterior is clad in over 26,000 hand-cut glass panels covering 142,000 m². The structural design allows the building to sway up to 1.5 m at the top in strong winds.

Climate Considerations

The Burj Khalifa is engineered for Dubai's extreme heat. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 45°C, and the building's exterior cladding and tinted glass reflect significant solar heat. Air conditioning systems consume vast amounts of energy and water — the building produces about 15 million liters of condensation per year, which is recycled for irrigation. The Empire State Building is engineered for New York's temperate four-season climate. The building underwent a major efficiency retrofit in 2010, reducing energy use by about 38% and saving an estimated $4.4 million per year.

Visitor Experiences

Both buildings welcome millions of visitors annually. The Burj Khalifa's observation decks (At the Top on floor 124 at 452 m, and SKY on floor 148 at 555 m) offer 360-degree views over Dubai and out to the Persian Gulf. Tickets are timed to control crowds. The Burj Khalifa also has the world's highest restaurant (At.mosphere on the 122nd floor, at 442 m), the world's highest mosque, and the world's highest swimming pool. The Empire State Building has observation decks on the 86th floor (320 m) and the 102nd floor (381 m), offering views across Manhattan and out to all five boroughs of New York on clear days. The 86th-floor open-air observatory is one of the most photographed views in the world.

Construction Era

The Empire State Building was a Depression-era project finished in record time (410 days). The Burj Khalifa took about six years to build (2004–2010). Both projects pushed the limits of their eras' construction technology. The Empire State famously cost about $40 million ($800 million in today's dollars), making it remarkably cost-efficient. The Burj Khalifa's $1.5 billion cost reflects much more complex engineering, glass cladding, mechanical systems, and the higher unit costs of luxury construction.

The "World's Tallest" Race

Both buildings held the title of "world's tallest" but in very different periods. The Empire State Building held the record for 40 years (1931–1972), one of the longest reigns in skyscraper history. The Burj Khalifa has held the record since 2010 but is facing competition. The Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, planned at 1,000+ m, was supposed to surpass the Burj Khalifa but construction has been stalled for years. The Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur (679 m, completed 2023) became the second-tallest building but is still much shorter than the Burj Khalifa.

Cultural and Economic Impact

Both buildings transformed their cities. The Empire State Building helped make midtown Manhattan the world's premier skyscraper district, influenced thousands of subsequent towers globally, and remains a cultural icon of New York and 20th-century America. The Burj Khalifa is the centerpiece of Dubai's ambitious transformation into a global financial, tourism, and luxury hub. The surrounding Downtown Dubai development (including the Dubai Mall, the Dubai Fountain, and surrounding hotels and apartments) was developed in concert with the tower.

In Popular Culture

The Empire State Building has appeared in countless films — most famously King Kong (1933, 1976, 2005), An Affair to Remember (1957), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Independence Day (1996), and many more. It has been hit by airplanes (a B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor in 1945, killing 14 people but not damaging the building structurally). The Burj Khalifa has become a fixture in modern action films and travel content. Tom Cruise famously climbed the exterior in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011), shot on the actual building. The tower is also a centerpiece of Dubai's tourism marketing and is illuminated for special events and national days.

Sustainability Differences

The Empire State Building underwent one of the most-publicized retrofits in skyscraper history. Between 2008 and 2013, the building completed a comprehensive efficiency overhaul that reduced energy use by 38% and saved an estimated $4.4 million per year. New windows, HVAC systems, lighting, and tenant management tools combined to make a 1930s building one of the most efficient large office buildings in the US. The Burj Khalifa, by contrast, was designed for energy efficiency from the start, with sun-shading design, thermal-pane glass, and condensation collection. But its operational energy use is far higher than the Empire State's on a per-square-meter basis due to extreme cooling needs in Dubai's climate.

Key Facts

• The Burj Khalifa is about 1.87× taller than the Empire State Building.
• The Burj Khalifa has held the world's-tallest title since 2010.
• The Empire State held the title for 40 years.
• The Burj Khalifa took 6 years to build; the Empire State took 410 days.
• Both have iconic observation decks open to the public.

Fun Facts

• The Burj Khalifa can be seen from over 95 km away.
• The Empire State Building was hit by a B-25 bomber in 1945 (and survived).
• The Burj Khalifa has the world's highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).
• The Empire State Building has its own zip code (10118).
• The Burj Khalifa's spire alone is 244 m tall — nearly half the height of the Empire State Building.

The Bottom Line

The Burj Khalifa is nearly twice as tall as the Empire State Building — about 1.87 times. Both are engineering marvels and cultural icons, but they belong to different eras. The Empire State represents the height of pre-WWII industrial-age architecture; the Burj Khalifa represents 21st-century mega-engineering and global city ambitions.