By Sharen Kaur
Published in NST, March 21 2016
KUALA LUMPUR: AN ICONIC structure usually comes with a design that is "ground breaking", such as the Empire State Building in New York, Tower Bridge in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Taj Mahal in India.
The Eiffel Tower was built between 1887 and 1889 and acted as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, which marked the centennial of the French Revolution.
It was supposed to stand for only 20 years, but became a valuable communications tool and remains in the Paris skyline. A visit to Paris is incomplete without a stop at the Eiffel Tower.
Burj Khalifa, standing at 829.8m, is the tallest structure in the world. The tower, which opened in 2010, is designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale mixed-use development.
The decision to build Burj Khalifa was reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition.
Iconic buildings in Kuala Lumpur consist of urban high-rises with cutting edge and futuristic designs. They include the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara KL Tower.
Petronas Twin Towers, at 452m, was once the world's tallest building. It took the world by storm and retained its claim to fame until 2004 when the Taipei 101, at 508m, was built.
The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers was designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates with both towers connected at the 41st and 42nd floors (175m above street level) by a 58m long double-decker Sky Bridge.
Menara KL Tower was constructed in 1994 and stands at 421m. Its viewing deck, at 276m, is higher than the Sky Bridge at the Petronas Twin Towers.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said at the launch of Warisan Merdeka, here, last Wednesday iconic buildings help define a city.
He said iconic buildings made a statement about a city's history, its ambition and how it wishes to be seen. It also affects the way people feel about the city and gives citizens a landmark to marvel at and be proud of.
"When someone mentions an iconic tower, what exactly does it mean? What is it that makes a tower 'iconic'? The design? The shape? The story or history that lies behind the development?
"Perhaps, in this case, it may be all of those things. But, it is also the aspiration, the desire for excellence and the determination to build something memorable and lasting, something that can define new Malaysia," he said.
Najib said Warisan Merdeka was a strategic property development project that would play a key role in unlocking and maximising the value of the landbank.
He also said as a new iconic development for Malaysia, the project was expected to add to Kuala Lumpur's attractiveness as an investment and tourist destination.
"This project will preserve two of our great heritage buildings, namely Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara, proving that it is entirely possible for modern, contemporary architecture with avant-garde features to co-exist harmoniously with rich, historical buildings, with both the old and the new complementing and enhancing each other.
"At the same time, both domestic and foreign direct investments will be generated through higher value-added activities in the services sector as well as by the redevelopment of surrounding areas that will increase the value of properties within the Warisan Merdeka precinct and Bukit Bintang as well as the Golden Triangle," Najib said.
The Warisan Merdeka mixed development project, here, will be fully completed in 2024 with Phase 1 expected to generate primary and secondary economic multiplier effects of about RM11 billion.
The Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) project would be developed on a 7.69ha site within the enclave of Unesco's World Heritage Site, namely Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara.
PNB, which bought the land in 2000 via its subsidiary, PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd, would develop the project in three phases.
Phase 1 comprises a iconic 118-storey tower and a seven-storey 900,000 sq ft shopping mall that would be built at a cost of RM5 billion.
The 118-storey tower was renamed Merdeka PNB118 by Najib.
Merdeka PNB118, standing at 630m, will be the tallest tower in Malaysia upon its completion in 2020.
The tower will be home to, among others, a six-star 236-room luxury hotel, 82 floors of offices and a sky lobby.
PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said Merdeka PNB118 was anticipated to be world's fifth-tallest building, and would be listed in the "mega-tall" category along with Burj Khalifa Dubai, Shanghai Tower and Makkah Royal Clock Tower, to name a few.
Merdeka PNB118 will be the first building in Malaysia to have the triple green building platinum accreditations locally and internationally, namely the Green Building Index (GBI), GreenRe, and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
Besides the green building certifications, it will also be awarded the MSC Malaysia Cyber Centre status.
The tower was designed by world renowned architecture firm Fender Katsalidis Architects (FKA) from Melbourne, Australia.
FKA has been notable since the early 1990s, producing many landmark structures in Melbourne and other Australian cities and also in Southeast Asia.
It also designed Eureka Tower - Melbourne's tallest building and one of the tallest residential buildings in the world.
Published in NST, March 21 2016
KUALA LUMPUR: AN ICONIC structure usually comes with a design that is "ground breaking", such as the Empire State Building in New York, Tower Bridge in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Taj Mahal in India.
The Eiffel Tower was built between 1887 and 1889 and acted as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, which marked the centennial of the French Revolution.
It was supposed to stand for only 20 years, but became a valuable communications tool and remains in the Paris skyline. A visit to Paris is incomplete without a stop at the Eiffel Tower.
Burj Khalifa, standing at 829.8m, is the tallest structure in the world. The tower, which opened in 2010, is designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale mixed-use development.
The decision to build Burj Khalifa was reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition.
Iconic buildings in Kuala Lumpur consist of urban high-rises with cutting edge and futuristic designs. They include the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara KL Tower.
Petronas Twin Towers, at 452m, was once the world's tallest building. It took the world by storm and retained its claim to fame until 2004 when the Taipei 101, at 508m, was built.
The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers was designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates with both towers connected at the 41st and 42nd floors (175m above street level) by a 58m long double-decker Sky Bridge.
Menara KL Tower was constructed in 1994 and stands at 421m. Its viewing deck, at 276m, is higher than the Sky Bridge at the Petronas Twin Towers.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said at the launch of Warisan Merdeka, here, last Wednesday iconic buildings help define a city.
He said iconic buildings made a statement about a city's history, its ambition and how it wishes to be seen. It also affects the way people feel about the city and gives citizens a landmark to marvel at and be proud of.
"When someone mentions an iconic tower, what exactly does it mean? What is it that makes a tower 'iconic'? The design? The shape? The story or history that lies behind the development?
"Perhaps, in this case, it may be all of those things. But, it is also the aspiration, the desire for excellence and the determination to build something memorable and lasting, something that can define new Malaysia," he said.
Najib said Warisan Merdeka was a strategic property development project that would play a key role in unlocking and maximising the value of the landbank.
He also said as a new iconic development for Malaysia, the project was expected to add to Kuala Lumpur's attractiveness as an investment and tourist destination.
"This project will preserve two of our great heritage buildings, namely Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara, proving that it is entirely possible for modern, contemporary architecture with avant-garde features to co-exist harmoniously with rich, historical buildings, with both the old and the new complementing and enhancing each other.
"At the same time, both domestic and foreign direct investments will be generated through higher value-added activities in the services sector as well as by the redevelopment of surrounding areas that will increase the value of properties within the Warisan Merdeka precinct and Bukit Bintang as well as the Golden Triangle," Najib said.
The Warisan Merdeka mixed development project, here, will be fully completed in 2024 with Phase 1 expected to generate primary and secondary economic multiplier effects of about RM11 billion.
The Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) project would be developed on a 7.69ha site within the enclave of Unesco's World Heritage Site, namely Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara.
PNB, which bought the land in 2000 via its subsidiary, PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd, would develop the project in three phases.
Phase 1 comprises a iconic 118-storey tower and a seven-storey 900,000 sq ft shopping mall that would be built at a cost of RM5 billion.
The 118-storey tower was renamed Merdeka PNB118 by Najib.
Merdeka PNB118, standing at 630m, will be the tallest tower in Malaysia upon its completion in 2020.
The tower will be home to, among others, a six-star 236-room luxury hotel, 82 floors of offices and a sky lobby.
PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said Merdeka PNB118 was anticipated to be world's fifth-tallest building, and would be listed in the "mega-tall" category along with Burj Khalifa Dubai, Shanghai Tower and Makkah Royal Clock Tower, to name a few.
Merdeka PNB118 will be the first building in Malaysia to have the triple green building platinum accreditations locally and internationally, namely the Green Building Index (GBI), GreenRe, and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
Besides the green building certifications, it will also be awarded the MSC Malaysia Cyber Centre status.
The tower was designed by world renowned architecture firm Fender Katsalidis Architects (FKA) from Melbourne, Australia.
FKA has been notable since the early 1990s, producing many landmark structures in Melbourne and other Australian cities and also in Southeast Asia.
It also designed Eureka Tower - Melbourne's tallest building and one of the tallest residential buildings in the world.
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