80
Global
Height rank

The Torch

Dubai
Height
1
To Tip:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
352 m / 1,155 ft
2
Architectural:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."
352 m / 1,155 ft
3
Occupied:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
300.1 m / 985 ft
1 2 3 The Torch
  Floors
Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).
86
Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.
4
Height 352 m / 1,155 ft
Floors 86
Official Name
The current legal building name.

The Torch

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed

Completion

2011

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

United Arab Emirates

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Dubai

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

Residential

Structural Material
All-Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered an “all-steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

All-Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars and/or steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

All-Timber
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from timber. An all-timber structure may include the use of localized non-timber connections between timber elements. Note that a building of timber construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of timber beams is still considered an “all-timber” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. all-steel, all-concrete, all-timber), one on top of the other. For example, a Steel Over Concrete indicates an all-steel structural system located on top of an all-concrete structural system, with the opposite true of Concrete Over Steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used within a composite building’s primary structural elements.

All-Concrete

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

352 m / 1,155 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
352 m / 1,155 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
300.1 m / 985 ft
Observatory
300.1 m / 985 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

86

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

4

# of Apartments
Number of Apartments refers to the total number of residential units (including both rental units and condominiums) contained within a particular building.

676

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

686

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

8

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

6 m/s

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

94,306 m² / 1,015,101 ft²

Rankings

#
80
Tallest in the World
#
17
Tallest in Middle East
#
14
Tallest in United Arab Emirates
#
13
Tallest in Dubai

Construction Schedule

2005

Proposed

2005

Construction Start

2011

Completed

Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Elevator
Owner/Developer
Select Group
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

National Engineering Bureau
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

National Engineering Bureau
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

National Engineering Bureau
Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Dubai Civil Engineering
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Wind
BMT Fluid Mechanics Ltd.
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Elevator

CTBUH Initiatives

CTBUH Leaders Connect at 2017 Conference

29 October 2017 - Event

Top Company Rankings: The World’s 100 Tallest Buildings

13 October 2016 - CTBUH Research

 

Research

28 April 2016

Debating Tall: Do Cladding Fire Codes & Tests Need Changing?

Phil Barry, CWB Fire Safety Consultants Ltd; Simon Lay, Olsson Fire & Risk UK

A series of high-profile fires in tall buildings in the Middle East has raised concerns about standards for fire protection in exterior cladding on these...

About The Torch

The Torch is a residential skyscraper sited in Dubai’s marina district. Completed in 2011, the building has gone from relative isolation to gaining a host of skyscraping neighbors nearby. The waterfront tower consists of six retail spaces and 676 residential apartments that range in size and offerings, with a host of large duplex penthouses. The location places it amongst Dubai’s most in-demand tall buildings in the marina.

The tower has a concrete column structure, with beam and slab construction and a non-load-bearing façade. The structure was built in three continuous sections, punctuated by intermittent mechanical floors. The shapes and materials that compose the building’s white and unitized blue glass curtain façade vary along its height, offering visual variety. At the top, a sculptural facet crowns the building, a glass-paned element that twists and extends upward, creating a swirl around the tower’s protruding spire, an architectural detail whose form was inspired by the building’s inspiration, a torch. The building’s interiors feature exquisite marble floors in the communal areas such as the lobby, and carefully-laid tile floors in the residences.

The skyscraper is built on a concrete podium structure with patterned walls that are reminiscent of a mashrabiya, a type of projecting window common in Islamic architecture comprising an intricately carved latticework that gives protection from the sun. The podium houses shopping destinations for residents and guests. Modern amenities for residents include a sauna and steam room with private changing rooms, a state-of-the-art gym, and ample private parking space. The podium’s rooftop is landscaped with palm trees, and boasts a large private deck with a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and a sunbathing area.

28 April 2016

Debating Tall: Do Cladding Fire Codes & Tests Need Changing?

Phil Barry, CWB Fire Safety Consultants Ltd; Simon Lay, Olsson Fire & Risk UK

A series of high-profile fires in tall buildings in the Middle East has raised concerns about standards for fire protection in exterior cladding on these...

31 December 2011

Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2011

Nathaniel Hollister & Antony Wood, CTBUH

The annual story is becoming a familiar one: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and now 2011 have each sequentially broke the record for the most 200...

29 October 2017

CTBUH Leaders Connect at 2017 Conference

The Annual Leaders Meeting was held the day before the start of the CTBUH 2017 Australia Conference, bringing together the Council’s leaders.

13 October 2016

Top Company Rankings: The World’s 100 Tallest Buildings

The Council is pleased to announce the Top Company Rankings for numerous disciplines as derived from the list of projects appearing in 100 of the World’s Tallest Buildings.