Lure of the newest and tallest
Published on: Saturday, February 18, 2023
By: David Thien
Media personnel checking on the work progress of Merdeka 118 Tower in Kuala Lumpur. (File pic: The Star)
Kuala Lumpur: The new RM5 billion, 678.9m high, 118-storey, Merdeka 118 Tower here at Jalan Hang Jebat, touted as the world’s second tallest building, and Southeast Asia’s tallest, is due for completion this year – 2023 – according to developer, PNB Merdeka Ventures.The official name of the tower is Merdeka PNB 118 or simply Merdeka 118 and the project is expected to create a major economic benefit chain as high as RM11 billion. In addition to promoting economic activity, this project is expected to realise the creation of more than 10,000 job opportunities.
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The top 17 floors of Merdeka 118 Tower will house the first and only Park Hyatt Hotel in Malaysia. However, the hotel will only open in 2024.
The best way to access the Merdeka 118 Tower is by metro, visitors can take Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line and stop at Merdeka MRT station, after exiting the station.
Only the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 830m, stands taller. The Merdeka 118 tower, built in 3 Phases, on 19 acres, is located next to Merdeka Stadium where Malaya’s independence from the British was announced on Aug 31, 1957, by the country’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.
The Merdeka PNB 118’s spire is about 150 meters long. The tower’s off-centred spire is inspired by the raised right hand of Tunku during the Merdeka Proclamation.
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In comparison to Merdeka 118 Tower’s 678.9m height, Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers is at 452m and the Exchange 106 at the Tun Razak Exchange financial district is at 453.5m.
Designed by Australian Fender Katsalidis Architects with local architectural firm RSP Architects Sdn Bhd, the spire of the geometrically intricate 118-storey office and hotel tower was completed in Nov, 2021. Which marked its final height, 678.9m (2,227ft) above ground, and 741.9m (2,434ft) above sea level.
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Spanning over 3.1 million sq ft of floor area, the Merdeka 118 tower includes 1.66 million sq ft of net lettable area (NLA) of premium Grade-A rentable office space and about one million square feet of retail space in the glass-domed 118 mall within the podium of the tower.
Property consultant Richard Chua concurred that there are too many malls being built that will eclipse smaller malls that find it harder to compete in the brick-and-mortar retailing market.
A giant mall will be located on the tower’s lower floors. A large underground station connecting several of KL’s LRT and MRT lines is being built in the tower’s basement levels.
Chua
The rate of construction for the tallest building in Malaysia as an iconic tower landmark has reached 97 per cent.
Chua said: “Besides PNB and its subsidiaries, Maybank is expected to move its headquarters to the Merdeka 118 tower from its Menara Maybank building in Pudu, which was once one of KL’s tallest skyscrapers at 243.5m.”
The developer, PNB Merdeka Ventures, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) – a government wealth fund-management firm, was targeting a tenancy comprising 70 per cent local companies and 30 per cent multinational companies to occupy the offices.
A must-visit attraction for tourists at the Merdeka 118 tower is at Level 116 (mezzanine), where South-east Asia’s highest “The View at 118” observation deck is located. Tickets will be sold online for those who are interested to see the KL skyline later this year.
As of now, the observation deck on the Petronas towers and KL Tower are still the only places for enjoying the city views from the sky. And since KL Tower is located closer to Merdeka PNB 118, it is the best place to enjoy the aerial view of Merdeka PNB 118.
Once built, a multi-story observatory will be included on Merdeka PNB 118, the observatory will occupy 114th, 115th, 116th, and 117th floors of the tower, the heights of these observation floors range from 468m to 481m, it will become the 6th highest observation deck in the world. In addition, a secondary observation deck will be added on the spire at 566 meters high, which will make it the world’s highest observation deck.
Local company UEM Group and South Korea’s Samsung C & T were chosen by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) as the major contractors for the above-ground construction of the tower. UEM Group is one of the largest construction companies in Malaysia.
Samsung C & T is a subsidiary of Samsung Group, which is best known for its electronic products, the company has had experience participating in the construction of many of tallest skyscrapers, including the Petronas Twin Towers, which were the World’s Tallest Buildings from 1998 to 2004.
Merdeka 118 will be the first tower in Malaysia to achieve a triple green building platinum rating by local and foreign bodies with international sustainability certifications, including the Green Building Index (GBI) and the highly prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (Leed).
Other components of the Merdeka 118 precinct include the Merdeka Textile Museum, showcasing Malay-world textile, Little M, a childcare centre for children below seven years old and Masjid Merdeka, a mosque that can accommodate up to 3,000 people.
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