Stupendous Features

-The building has a steel exoskeleton wrapped around a reinforced concrete tower. The building is shaped like the sail of a dhow, with two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast". The sail is made of a material called Dyneon. It is coated with DuPont Teflon to protect it from harsh desert heat, wind, and dirt; as a result, "the fabricators estimate that it will hold up for up to 50 years.

- During the day, the white fabric allows a soft, milky light inside the hotel. At night, both inside and outside, the fabric is lit by color-changing lights and some spectacular water effects every 30 minutes expressing the evening's progress.

-Near the top of the building is a suspended helipad supported by a cantilever which was temporarily converted into a grass tennis court,when professional tennis players Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played an unranked game.

-The Burj Al Arab has the tallest atrium lobby in the world, at 180 meters (590 ft). The atrium is formed between the building's V-shaped span.

-The interior guest space is a compilation of lavish and luxurious architectural styles from both the east and the west. The hotel boasts 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marble.

-One of its restaurants,The Al Muntaha restaurant is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 meters from either side of the mast, is located 200 metres above the Persian Gulf, offering great views of Dubai. It is accessed by a panoramic elevator.

-Another restaurant, the Al Mahara (Arabic meaning "The Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 35,000 cubic feet (over one million liters) of water. The tank, made of acrylic glass in order to reduce the magnification effect, is about 18 cm (7.5 inches) thick. The restaurant was also voted among the top ten best restaurants of the world by Condé Nast Traveler. They have recently hired acclaimed chef Kevin McLaughlin.