How do you make the tallest building in the world even more noticeable? We may now have the answer.
Athough the Burj Khalifa in Dubhai is already impressive as the tallest man-made structure on Earth (a staggering 2,722 feet), the building might become twice as salient. A think tank has proposed a project that would cover the whole skyscraper in a reflective and translucent material that would reflect both the building and its surroundings.
Videos by VICE
The tentative installation, called EXO-BURJ, was pitched by Dubai-based creative group, OP-EN, which they describe as a “vision for a superstructure exo-facade–amplifying perspective.” It would be suspended off Burj Khalifa’s main spire, using a super-lightweight and semi-transparent fabric with a fan-shaped support structure.
OP-EN explained that visitors would be able to view the temporary installation from a distance, but also be able to get close to the installation and even touch the facade. “The end-result,” their site explains, “would amplify the visual perspectives of the city’s skyline, augment the tower’s symbol as an urban center of gravitity, and create an artistic atmosphere on a vast architectural scale.”
“Vast architectural scale” feels like an understatement here. For some reason, we can’t help but think of that scene in the most recent Mission Impossible flick where Tom Cruise swings off the Burj Khalifa. That stunt would look ten times cooler if re-filmed with EXO-BURJ in it.
Images via OP-EN
Hat-tip via iO9
More
From VICE
-
Screenshot: Sony Interactive Entertainment -
-
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 14: Timothée Chalamet seen at a Special Screening of A24's "Marty Supreme" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/A24 via Getty Images) -
Photo: Gandee Vasan / Getty Images
