The tower of a 118-story skyscraper under construction reached its apex more than 2,227 feet (equivalent to about 678 meters) above Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Expected to confirm itself as the second tallest building in the world after its completion next year, the Merdeka 118 is now taller than China’s Shanghai Tower, at 2,073 feet (about 631 meters), and is second only to by Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
In a ceremony that marked the tower’s completion on Tuesday, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob described the project as an “iconic tower for the future.”
“This is not just a great achievement in the engineering field,” he told reporters. “But it also further strengthens Malaysia’s position as a modern, developed country.”
With 288,000 square meters of area, more than half will be offered as offices, the tower will also house a shopping mall, a mosque, a Park Hyatt hotel and the highest viewpoint in Southeast Asia. The larger site, measuring more than 16,000 square meters, will also contain public spaces and a ground-level park.
Situated in a historic part of Kuala Lumpur, the skyscraper overlooks Merdeka Stadium, where former Tunku leader Abdul Rahman declared Malaysia’s independence in 1957. Ismail Sabri, who was named prime minister in August, told reporters Tuesday that the sculptural design “reflects the image” of Rahman famous for raising his hand to shout ‘merdeka!’ (Malay for “independent!”) For over six decades”.
The Australian architecture firm behind the project, Fender Katsalidis, said the triangular glass plans on the building’s facade were inspired by patterns found in Malaysian arts. The design also “symbolically (represents) the rich cultural mix that defines the people of the country,” the company said in a press release.
In a statement, one of the company’s founding partners, Karl Fender, added that the building was designed to enrich “the social energy and cultural fabric of the city”.
“Furthermore, the achievement of creating the second tallest building in the world commemorates the years of planning, problem solving, collaboration and human effort required to realize a building of this complexity,” he said. “Reaching this height milestone is a welcome bonus.”
Announced in 2010, the project started five years ago despite concerns expressed by some local heritage activists about the impact it could have on the historic district.
Although the building was to open this year, work was temporarily halted in March 2020, when the Malaysian government introduced strict lockdown measures to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Kuala Lumpur’s skyline has been transformed by skyscrapers in recent decades, and Malaysia’s capital is now the 13th-tallest city in the world, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The 1,483-foot Petronas Towers were considered the tallest buildings in the world between 1998 and 2004, when they were surpassed by Taiwan’s Taipei 101.
In 2019, the 106-story Exchange 106 became the tallest skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur – and Southeast Asia – at the time, despite being embroiled in the 1MDB financial controversy that led to the country’s former prime minister. , Najib Razak, to criminal charges including money laundering and abuse of power.
* Translated material. Read the original here.
Reference: CNN Brasil

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