By Sharen Kaur - Published in NST Property, November 15, 2021
sharen@nst.com.my
The new corporate tower for the YTL Group, Menara YTL, which is located within the prestigious Jalan Bukit Bintang enclave is the star among the many office buildings nearby.
The boutique-scaled office tower is located on the same row as The Westin Kuala Lumpur and JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, adjacent to The Starhill Mall.
Menara YTL, located at 205 Jalan Bukit Bintang, is the next significant step in the YTL Group's journey.
YTL had gone through incredible transformation and growth since its inception in 1955. It has progressed from a small home-grown construction company to an integrated infrastructure developer with operations in over ten countries.
This multifaceted organisation, which now has over 12 million customers worldwide, began in modest shop offices on Jalan Bukit Bintang. As YTL advanced into the future, it relocated to YTL Plaza, which eventually became its headquarters, to envision a new home that better reflects the evolution of the YTL brand and accommodates an ever-expanding new generation of employees.
Menara YTL will house many of the group's core businesses, including property development and investment, construction, hotel development and management, cement, power, e-commerce, and internet-based education solutions.
It will provide cutting-edge facilities for a dynamic new workforce of over 1,000 people while remaining true to the group's traditional roots by remaining in Bukit Bintang.
The design brief for the 41-storey Menara YTL was developed in 2017.
The tower was designed by a renowned architect, designer, and consultant hired by YTL and completed in December 2020.
The elegant touches and monochromatic scheme of the building make it a standout structure in Kuala Lumpur's skyline.
The total built-up area is 392,021 square feet, with two levels of basement parking and parking bays ranging from level 1 to level 7.
Meeting rooms are located on levels 9 and 10, while offices are located on levels 13 through 39. On level 8, there is also a cafe, sky lobby, roof garden, and town hall.
The tower has a high ratio of open space to development footprint, which is consistent with YTL's philosophy and commitment to sustainable development. Almost half of the site area (excluding the building footprint) is dedicated to calming greens and landscaping, far exceeding the local authorities' requirements.
One of the main challenges in designing the building was to create a one-of-a-kind structure that would arise from a narrow plot of land in the high-volume heart of Kuala Lumpur's premier shopping district.
The structure would also need to stand out and be distinctive in the typical YTL style, as well as bring the vision to life.
The sleek tower was designed by American architecture firm KPF Associates, with a "crystal" façade finish achieved through an artfully folded glass that creates a gem-like effect with variations in light reflection and contrasting textures.
Landscape architect and sculptor Dr. Colin K. Okashimo created an outdoor installation on the eighth-floor deck. The one-of-a-kind circular arrangement represents metaphorical expressions associated with Tan Sri Dr. Yeoh Tiong Lay, the late founder of the YTL Group.
The tower's cavernous reception lobby, which spans over 25m in height across seven floors, is the "star." Studio Sawada Design made a lasting impression for the seven-story atrium with a glittering kinetic sculpture. The sculptural interpretation of 'komorebi,' dubbed Leaves, poetically captures the effect of sunlight streaming through tree leaves.
The soaring entrance lobby is lined with marble-clad columns and bronze detailing created by the Singapore-based Ministry of Design (MOD), an architecture and interior design studio founded in 2004 by Colin Seah.
The MOD's goal was to improve the "majestic" quality of this vast space while also making it welcoming. To accomplish this, the studio created a restrained material palette, which is dominated by the soaring white columns clad in Bugatsa marble that run the length of the lobby.
Behind the columns, floor-to-ceiling windows illuminate them and maximise natural light throughout the day, making the space "glow like a lantern in the evening."
At the back of the lobby is a deliberately symmetrical lift area, accessible via turnstiles and framed by a statement bronze doorway. This enables private access to the upper levels of YTL Headquarters, including the office oak-lined cafe, various meeting spaces, and a MOD function room.
The cafe features a rough grey granite counter with a polished black granite worktop against a backdrop of bronze wall-mounted shelves and oak-lined walls.
The walls and ceilings of the meeting rooms have also been lined with oak.
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