Burj Khalifa at 15: Meet the visionary architect behind the world's tallest tower

Fifteen years ago, on a breezy January evening, the world witnessed a spectacle unlike any other. As fireworks lit up the Dubai skyline and an intricate fountain show danced in tandem, a towering spire of glass and concrete officially claimed its place in history. Standing at 828 metres, the Burj Khalifa became Dubai’s bold declaration of ambition—an architectural triumph that, 15 years on, continues to embody the city’s unrelenting drive to leave its mark on the global stage. In fact, “it continues to grow in its iconic stature as time goes on,” says Adrian Smith, the visionary architect behind the modern marvel.

Smith, however, is no stranger to tall buildings. A distinguished American architect, he’s celebrated for designing some of the world's most iconic skyscrapers, with a portfolio that includes the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, and the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago. But ws creating the tallest building a childhood dream for the Chicago-based architect? “It was a life-changing event to design that building,” Smith, 80, tells wknd. “As a young architect drafting at my desk, I often wondered if I would ever get the chance to work on a super-tall building. It wasn’t a goal per se, but it was a thought that lingered in my mind.”

As we reflect on the tower’s 15-year legacy, we caught up with Smith, now enjoying retirement, to unpack the monumental vision that redefined the boundaries of design, the cultural and economic significance of the Burj Khalifa, his fondest memories from the project and its enduring legacy—as a symbol of Dubai’s rapid transformation.

Edited excerpts from an interview:

Adrian, 15 years on, how do you reflect on your involvement in the Burj Khalifa, now a global icon and symbol of Dubai?

Well, I think it’s amazing that it’s been 15 years since it was completed, and it’s still the tallest building in the world. It’s doing very well at this stage, and I look forward to it remaining the tallest building. It continues to grow in its iconic stature as time goes on. There are other attempts by developers and architects to build taller structures, but as you know, completing such buildings is very challenging. They are very expensive, and there’s a lot of technology that needs to be taken into consideration to get them built.

You mentioned you recently retired, but what an incredible legacy of work you’ve left behind—it’s truly one for the history books. How did your interest in architecture first take root?

As a kid, I didn’t think much about architecture. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I started considering it. My mum actually introduced me to architecture. When I was younger, I would look through newspapers and magazines and cut out pictures of buildings I liked. My mum noticed and said, “You seem interested in buildings—maybe you should be an architect.”

I was about 15 at the time and didn’t really know what an architect was. She explained it to me, and I started researching. I went to the library and found books about Frank Lloyd Wright. His work intrigued me—his designs were low, horizontal, and connected to their surroundings. They felt organic and beautifully integrated with the site. That’s when I knew I wanted to be an architect.

Was designing the tallest building in the world ever a childhood dream?

It was absolutely a life-changing event to design that building. Interestingly, though, it wasn’t something I set out to achieve when I became an architect. When I joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, they were working on a building called the John Hancock Center, a 100-story building with sloped sides and exposed structural elements on the exterior. That was one of the first projects I got to work on, though I was assigned to mechanical spaces in the basement—nothing glamorous.

It wasn’t the tallest building in the world, but it was one of the tallest at the time, and it was fascinating to witness the process of designing such a significant project. The architect behind it, Bruce Graham, later worked on the Sears Tower in Chicago, which became the tallest building in the world.

As a young architect drafting at my desk, I often wondered if I would ever get the chance to work on a super-tall building. It wasn’t a goal per se, but it was a thought that lingered in my mind.

Sometimes it’s those fleeting thoughts or the purity of a moment that lead to incredible achievements…

Exactly. Over time, as I progressed in the firm, I started working on taller and taller buildings—40, 50, 60 stories. The project that eventually paved the way for Burj Khalifa was the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, which we designed in 1992 and completed in 1998.

At 88 stories, it was the tallest building in China at the time and the one that set off the economic miracle that happened in China and in the Pudong district. That was the building that gave that area of Pudong a believability that this could be the new financial center of China.

Interestingly, during our first meeting with Emaar in New York, Mohamed Alabbar mentioned he had just visited the Jin Mao Tower and was impressed by it. That project became a stepping stone for what was to come with the Burj Khalifa.

Is retirement a time for you to take stock and look back on your body of work?

What I’ve been doing over the last four to six years is publishing books about the work I’ve done—not just mine, but also the work of my firms. I published a book before I left Skidmore, Owings & Merrill that focused on my contributions as a lead partner in design. My goal is to leave something for future generations, especially my family, so they know who I was and the work I did. I’ve always been interested in genealogy—researching the past is as fascinating to me as imagining the future.

What role does the Burj Khalifa play in your legacy?

Oh, probably number one. It’s the most defining building of my career. People often ask, “What’s your favourite building you’ve designed?” That’s a tough question because buildings are like your children—you have emotional connections to each of them. But in terms of importance and defining who I am as an architect, there are about ten buildings that stand out to me. Burj Khalifa, of course, is at the top. It always will be.

What are some fond memories that instantly stand out from the Burj Khalifa project?

The opening ceremony was incredible. They had this massive floating white flower in the lake area to symbolise the tower. Then the tower itself lit up with an enormous light and fountain show, complete with fireworks. I didn’t know that was going to happen—it was a complete surprise. It was the first time a building had been used like that for a light show. It was unbelievable. I remember looking over at Sheikh Mohammed, and his eyes were glistening. He was so happy.

15 years ago, did you anticipate the global impact the Burj Khalifa would have?

It was an incredible leap. The Burj Khalifa remains awe-inspiring even 15 years later. In many ways, it profoundly transformed Dubai, becoming the anchor that solidified its position as a major global city. Sheikh Mohammed had an ambitious vision for Dubai, and the Burj Khalifa played a pivotal role in bringing that vision to life.

It’s remarkable how the Burj Khalifa symbolises Dubai’s growth over the last 20 years. Do you think architecture reflects a city’s ambitions and identity?

Absolutely. Architecture and urban planning are essential in shaping a city’s character and livability. When we were designing the Burj Khalifa, Mohamed Alabbar had a clear understanding of its potential. He knew that having the world’s tallest building on this site would elevate the value of the surrounding land and attract development.

This is a consistent trend with super-tall buildings—they anchor development and add value to their surroundings. The Jin Mao Tower did the same for Pudong in Shanghai. Mohamed Alabbar recognised this and executed it brilliantly with the Burj Khalifa, transforming not just the site but Dubai as a whole.

Can you take us back to your first meeting about the Burj Khalifa over 20 years ago and share your initial thoughts on the project?

When we first started the project, it was, I believe, in May or June of 2003. We got a call from Emaar to come to New York and give a presentation on our ideas—not necessarily ideas for the Burj Khalifa, but a presentation on our experience with super-tall buildings. So, Bill Baker (structural engineer), Giorgio Suciu (the project manager), and I went to New York and met with Mohamed Alabbar, Robert Booth, and their team.

We showcased five or six buildings we had previously designed, some of which were built and some that were not. These were much smaller than what the Burj Khalifa would become, but they were still considered super-tall at the time. We talked through the designs and got their feedback on what they liked or didn’t like.

At the end of the day, Mohamed asked me, “We’ve interviewed several architects. How would you go about selecting an architect if you were in our position?” I suggested they hold a short ideas competition—two to three weeks—to see who they liked working with and what concepts were presented. A week later, they called us back and said they wanted to proceed with that.

• After Burj Khalifa: How did the tallest building in the world change Dubai?