At the Top, Burj Khailfa, the region’s most-visited attraction which offers spectacular views of the city, now welcomes visitors with a series of never-before-seen immersive technology experiences.
 
In addition to expanding its area by three times its original size to host hundreds of visitors conveniently at any point in time, At the Top, Burj Khalifa’s reception in the lower ground floor of The Dubai Mall has undergone an aesthetic facelift. Visitors now step into the spacious lobby with several ticketing counters as well as digital self-ticketing kiosks.
 
VIP ticket holders can relax at a stylish new lounge as they await their turn to commence the tour. As the guests set to start the 'At the Top, Burj Khalifa' journey, the ambience changes; white gradient glass walls provide an illusion of clouds, highlighting the heights they will scale soon and giving a first glimpse of a four-metre illuminated model of Burj Khalifa.
 
Here, a giant video wall creates a spellbinding ‘movement art’ of all visitors. Sensors gather the presence of every individual visitor, his/her location and movement, and turn them into real-time digital art. The screen uses three different themes - sea water, desert rocks and mosaic motifs - to interact with the audiences. These dynamic, free-flowing artpieces will be much-loved by children and adults alike.
 
The next step in the tour is the must-watch replica of Burj Khalifa. It comes to life with digital projections in four different themes – cloud, water, sand and glass - providing visitors a feel of the vastness and height of the tower. Assured to capture the fancy of everyone is a 24-hour time-lapse shot of Downtown Dubai, the 500-acre mega-development. The base of the model also features interesting facts about the tower as well as inspiring quotes.
 
The view of the Burj Khalifa model is hidden from the central reception area by ‘magic glass’ – a cutting edge technological application that enables visitors on the outside to get just a glimpse of the model, as if looking through early morning clouds.
 
As the visitors continue the journey, an inspiring message of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, greets them. They then pass by the ‘Dubai Then & Now’ digital tunnel, which provides an audio-visual narration of five key eras of Dubai’s history.
 
It starts with eternal Dubai that celebrates the emirate’s glorious heritage though the city’s transition phase from 1840 to 1890, the trading era of 1890 to 1950, the modern era from 1950 to 2000, and Dubai today, providing a powerful portraiture of the achievements of the city. Each of the panel showcases underlying messages relevant to the era in Arabic calligraphy.
 
Ahmad Al Falasi, executive director – Group Operations at Emaar Properties, said: “The new At the Top, Burj Khalifa reflects our commitment to provide our visitors with innovative and memorable experiences at every point in their journey. We have leveraged the latest advancements in digital technology to ensure that every visit, every time, by anyone will assure them delightful surprises. The spacious, aesthetic and digitally enhanced reception will significantly add to the convenience of our visitors from across the world.”
 
The new enhancements form part of a seamless journey before visitors take high-speed elevators to At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY and/or At the Top, Burj Khalifa. The At the Top, Burj Khalifa Sky journey spans levels 124, 125 and 148, which is the crowning glory at 555 metres high and holds the Guinness World Record for the Highest Observation Deck. At the Top, Burj Khalifa, on the other hand, takes visitors to Level 124.
 
After taking in uninterrupted views from the observation decks, they return to the reception area to take a dedicated exit tunnel with ‘good bye’ messages in multiple languages. They will pass by a photo booth, where they can collect photo-mementoes of their journey and indulge in At the Top, Burj Khalifa retail with a wide range of merchandise that can be purchased from an expanded retail space.
 
Among the new enhancements are an expanded luggage area for the convenience of visitors, speed gates, and more. Ticket prices are currently an average of Dh125 ($34) for At the Top, Burj Khalifa, and Dh500 ($136) for At the Top, Burj Khalifa Sky.
 
A dedicated app has also been launched, available for free download from AppStore for iPhones, and Google Play for Android devices. With the app, in addition to gaining an overview of the attraction, users can plan and book the journey, explore the various facets and even create their own shareable ‘video story’ with a 15-second short film from atop the global icon. - TradeArabia News Service