Tonight is the official opening of the <b>Burj Dubai</b> , a tower that will easily sweep the title of tallest in the world. I argue that the hype you see in the newspapers and on TV today is perfectly justified. After all, we have hardly heard a word about the building for the last year and a half. <b>Emaar Properties</b> has kept such a tight lid on the project during construction that the building has become one of Dubai's greatest stories never told. Ask any resident of the UAE and they will tell you that the Burj Dubai is an irresistible sight to behold. There are fair differences of opinion over the actual architecture and aesthetics, with some saying it is an elegant pinnacle and others describing it is a awkward amalgmation of cylinders. But there is no doubt that it is a <b>behemoth</b> - the kind of awe inspiring structure that feels truly of our time. It looks like one of the epic machines of German expressionist film Metropolis. Here is a smattering of links of the best stories around the world about the Burj Dubai today. * Most provocative and thoughtful is Christopher Hawthorne's , where he describes the movement of architectural exuberance to Asia from North America and talks of the strange phenomenon of the tallest tower in the world that is mostly empty and will remain so for the near future (what he calls "architectural vacancy"). * <b>Mohamed Alabbar</b> gives a rare series of interviews to the national newspapers. The most thorough is in <i>The National</i> . Also check out this one in Arabian Business. * <i>The National</i> has a devoted to coverage of the Burj Dubai with links to everything from the engineering and design work to the to use as a weekend get away and apartments for his friends and family to use when they visit. * The <i>Gulf News</i> has a , showing guys abseiling from the top to install fireworks. Here is their . * MEED's Colin Foreman says that the "The official opening is now more about Dubai trying to regain its previous optimism and ambition. Emaar Properties will be hoping the celebrations offer a chance to forget the past 12 months and start afresh." * On the blogs, you will find a sweeping description of the tower and its importance to Dubai on (Mr Sher is a long time observer and resident of the UAE who is well worth keeping track of). Comparisons of the Burj Dubai and Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona at . from the top of the tower at Gizmodo.