At the Top, Burj Khalifa, Worlds highest store?

I'm not great with heights particularly, although when one is faced with a challenge I have to at least attempt to conquer it. The 'At the Top' store is situated literally at the top of the the Burj Khalifa, currently the worlds tallest building. Well, I say the top, although it is 120 storeys up in the air and the highest point where visitors can get too - there is more of the building above this point. I have followed the building of the Burj Khalifa over several years and seen its development with a lot of interest, although this is the first time I have been able to get inside. Having travelled along several corridors through the bowels of this building, with is its amazing digital screens, travelators and printed glass, before being rocketed at 10 metres per second in a digital screened elevator to the 'top' of this monster of construction. The sensation is bizarre to say the least, as the elevator almost doesn't move. The only sensation is your ears popping as one reaches these dizzy heights. Once the elevator stops at the viewing platform the views are incredible. I must admit, the palms of my hands were rather sweaty at this point and to add to the excitement, it is possible to actually go outside onto one of the exterior platforms (my legs were wobbly by now). Still the views are incredible and it was worth the effort. Within the enclosed viewing floor is the At the Top merchandise store. Possibly the highest store in the world? I liked the simplicity of the layout of this site, although I must say that the merchandise itself was a little disappointing. Some merchandise had clearly been produced before Dubai hit its monetary crisis and changed the name of the site from the originally planned Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa (I believe the name of the Sheik in Abu Dhabi who bailed Dubai out of its crisis). Therefore, the merchandise itself was partly printed with one name and half with the other. However, the selection of 'stuff' didn't meet my expectations given the iconic status of this site. After all, who really wants a printed camel mug or soft toy which has in this case no relation to the site at which it was purchased? Baseball caps, tea shirts, bags and Gold coloured mini-Khalifa's and candles are the main product here. It is such a shame that so much work has gone into this site and all we can buy as a souvenir is poorly designed merchandise. Still the experience is remarkable and perhaps the best reminder is our own shaky experience - just remember to wear extra deodorant.

At the Top, Burj Khalifa, Mall of Dubai

I was itching to see the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa, although I must admit I do find being so high up on these kind of buildings a little unnerving. There is a whole dedicated and actually quite spectacular-no-expense-spared journey to the top beginning with the At the Top retail space. I do like this open space as there is such an element of trust with shoppers here which is quite unlike anywhere else in the world. This is however probably due to the very harsh and fearful prison system here which is certainly not the pleasant option to prolong your stay but perhaps a great deterrent against theft and so on. This open White futuristic looking space is the starting point for the journey to the top. Once one has paid for their ticket, at their allocated time slot one begins the journey through many spaces along travelators with video walls (below), escalators and walkways with beautifully printed glass (below). There is a sense that something remarkable is about to happen as one journeys through these various spaces within the bowels of this beast of a mega structure. Following the obligatory security searches and photo opportunity against a blank Green coloured back ground (I hate those things, but played along) one is shot through the air in the up-to-the-minute technologically advance elevator. No creaking ropes and pulleys here ya' know. The views are spectacular although a little unreal. Having viewed many Architectural models, the view itself is a little like, well, looking at the Architectural models of the area that I have seen many times. It really does look unreal. The Dubai Mall (and worlds largest Mall) appears like some giant alien machine that wouldn't look out of place in 'Independence Day' and the experience overall is very much like Westworld and Future World. The one thing that kept dropping into my mind was the sinister strapline from the films themselves..."Boy have we got a vacation for you". However, it is a spectacular achievement by the companies involved and if you don't mind heights (or even if you do), you must go for the experience - remarkable.