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Comment by kylec | Hacker News Reader

    The Arizona tower will be a staggering 800 metres or so tall - just 30 meters
    shorter than the colossal Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest
    man-made structure.

Is there any reason why this can't be constructed to be 831 meters tall to edge out the Burj Dubai?

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I think that Burj Khalifa (formerly known as Burj Dubai) should be the tallest for economic reasons. The Arizona tower is simply infrastructure, so its goals are to produce the most energy for the least cost. Adding 31 meters may upset the cost/benefit ratio. Dubai, on the other hand, is a tourist destination, and having the tallest building in the world is good marketing.

But... 'merica.

... fuck yeah!

Honestly though, why compete just to show off? There its making money as the tallest structure, here it will be completely isolated, nobody comes here, whoopteedoo.

Here it is also all about cost-benefit. There will be no tourism.

There will be no tourism.

I'd want to see it if I am in Arizona! But I don't care if it is tallest structure in the world, I'm in it for the power engineering.

me too! did you notice what looked like a "viewing ring" at the top of the tower in the video? i wonder what all the wind sounds like up there, and if birds will circle it all day, etc.

I'm willing to bet Burj Khalifa wasn't built tallest for purely economic reasons. I have a suspicion ego was at least a tiny factor.

and then that ego was bruised when they had to change the name to the guy who runs the city next door because he bailed you out

By 2015, there will probably be three or four other buildings taller than the Burj.

Because "who has the longest" contests are... well, stupid.

Seriously, why would you build the tower higher than needed, only to "edge out" some empty building in the Arabian desert? Aren't there... sorry "ain't there" more important things?

It's pretty unlikely, but fun to think that they might be planning on pulling something similar to the Chrysler Building.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building#Construction

Because, the building in Dubai will grow to 832 meters once they're done.

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