Q: What's the world's tallest skyscraper? A: The Burj Dubai is the tallest freestanding structure in the world.

In the latest pictures of Dubai's skyline, one building looms over the rest. The dark structure almost seems as though it's on a different scale -- like an oversized toy that got mixed in with a matching set. At 156 stories and growing, the Burj Dubai is, in fact, on a different scale. It's the new tallest building in the world and the new tallest structure in the world -- and it's not even complete.

On July 22, 2007, the Burj Dubai hit 1,680 feet, pushing ahead of Taiwan's Taipei 101 by 13 feet. The Burj then quickly surpassed Toronto's 1,815 foot CN Tower, which held the title of world's tallest freestanding structure for 31 years. As of October 2007, the Burj spans 1,922 feet and 156 floors.

The Burj Dubai's developers will not reveal specifics on the building's final height, but speculators predict it will reach 2,275 feet by its completion in late 2008. Skyscraper developers strive to build the world's tallest structures, and some developers will erect hasty towers or extend a roof to gain height over a rival. The Burj Dubai will dominate all four criteria used by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat to measure skyscrapers. It should have the highest structural top, occupied floor, roof and spire in the world.

The tower is only one of the booming city of Dubai's superlative plans -- plans that include the largest mall, the largest ski run and the largest artificial island. Yet, it was not conceived as such. Designers originally planned for a 90 story, three-wing building but Dubai's ruler and mastermind, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, pushed the developers, Emaar Properties, to sensationalize the project and build a globally recognized structure. Construction on the Burj Dubai started in January 2004.

In the next section, we'll learn about the components of the Burj Dubai.