The Burj Khalifa, which rises 2,716 feet out of the Dubai desert and is the tallest building in the world, was struck by fork lightning during a recent storm.
With more than 160 levels, the Burj also holds the record for having the highest outdoor observation deck - on floor 124 - and the lift which travels the longest distance.
Lucky strike: The Burj Khalifa skyscraper during a lightning storm in downtown Dubai
The Burj is a natural lightning conductor due to its height and design. To ensure the tower doesn't twist or break during bad weather, it is built in a Y-shape, with three 'wings' evenly distributing the building's weight.
Its main accommodation – the fashion-accented Armani Hotel – sits on the 39th storey while the world's highest restaurant At.mosphere is on the 122nd floor and can be accessed via a minute-long lift ride in a private chrome and glass lift.
The Burj was officially opened in January 2010 and took 22 million man hours to complete. The total length of stainless steel used is 293 times the height of the Eiffel Tower.
Last month 48-year-old Frenchman Alain Robert scaled the free-standing structure in six hours, 14 minutes and 55 seconds.
‘It was a very big moment in my life,’ said Mr Robert, whose penchant for climbing skyscrapers has earned him the nickname Spiderman.
But although he made his very public ascent up the half-mile high tower look easy, it was almost brought to an untimely halt, he revealed. He had climbed up a central column to just 45ft from the top when he was hit by crippling thigh cramps.
Only determination saw him through. ‘I knew that it was nearly done, so there was no way to stop,’ he explained.
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