The second tallest building in the world arrives in Malaysia

The 118-story skyscraper spires to a height of more than 2,227 feet from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

Merdeka 118, due for completion next year, will become the world’s second tallest building, now taller than China’s 2,073-foot Shanghai Tower and eclipsed only by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. .

At a ceremony to mark Sui’s completion on Tuesday, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yacob called the project “a magnificent tower for the future”.

A digital representation shows what the tower will look like when completed in late 2022. Credit: Fender Katsalidis

With an area of ​​3.1 million square feet, more than half of which will be used as offices, the tower will also house a mall, a mosque, a Park Hyatt hotel and the highest observation deck in the south. East Asia. The massive four-hectare site will also include public spaces and a ground-level park.

Located in a historic part of Kuala Lumpur, the skyscraper overlooks the Merdeka Stadium, where former Tunku leader Abdul Rahman declared independence from Malaysia in 1957. Ismail Sabri, who was appointed prime minister in August, said on Tuesday that the design of the sculpture “reflects that image.” of Rahman who called “Merdeka!” He raised his hand to shout. (Malay for “Free!”) more than six decades ago.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yacob (centre) at a ceremony to mark the completion of Tower Sui. Credit: Syaiful Redzuan / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

Fender Katsalidis, the Australian architect behind the project, said the triangular glass peaks of the building’s facade were inspired by patterns found in Malaysian arts and crafts. The design also “symbolically (represents) the rich cultural mix that defines the country’s people,” the firm said in a press release.

In a statement, Carl Fender, one of the company’s founding partners, added that the building was designed to reinforce the “social energy and cultural fabric of the city.”

In addition, the achievement of building the second tallest building in the world celebrates the years of planning, problem solving, collaboration and human effort required to build a building of this complexity. “Achieving this high milestone is a welcome achievement.”