Petronas Twin Towers

Introduction

Petronas Twin Towers

© Hien

When the Petronas Twin Towers were completed in 1998, they were declared as the tallest buildings in the world at the height of 451.9 metres, surpassing the 442-metre-tall Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) in Chicago, USA. In 2004, Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan at 509.2 metres took over the world's tallest building title, but was surpassed by a wide margin by Burj Khalifa (828 metres) in Dubai, UAE in 2008.

The towers have a unique 58-metre-long double-deck skybridge that connects both towers at levels 41 and 42, which are the sky lobby. Apart from allowing tenants moving from one tower to the other without having to go to ground level, the skybridge also functions as an exit route in case of emergency in one of the towers.

Tower One is fully occupied by the Malaysian state oil company, Petronas, and its subsidiaries and associate companies. Tenants in Tower Two are mostly multinational companies, which includes Accenture, Al-Jazeera, Barclays Capital, Bloomberg, Boeing, IBM, McKinsey & Co., Microsoft and Reuters.

At the bottom of the towers are the Suria KLCC shopping complex and a philharmonic hall.

Behind the towers is the KLCC Park which features a jogging track, walking paths, a water fountain and a wading pool for children.

Brief History

In 1990, the Malaysian government decided to redevelop a large area of land situated in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur. On the land was a race track owned by the Selangor Turf Club which organised weekly horse races. Architects from around the world submitted their proposals and Cesar Pelli's twin towers proposal was chosen. After months of redesigning and planning, works started in 1992 and it took six years to complete the first phase of the redevelopment, which was the twin towers.

As with the bedrock in most of Kuala Lumpur, the ground which the towers now sit on was a series of hollow caves and soft rock. Under each tower, over 100 concrete piles, ranging from 60 to 114 metres deep, were bored into the ground to create a raft foundation, one of the deepest in the world. The concrete raft foundation is made from 13,200 cubic metres of concrete being continuously poured through a period of 54 hours for each tower. The raft is 4.6 metres thick, weighs 32,500 tonnes and held the world record for the largest concrete pour until 2007.

The entire redevelopment plan for the area, consisting of the twin towers, a convention and exhibition centre, office towers, hotels, residential suite towers, mosque and a park surrounded by all the buildings, is known as the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).

The tower project continued during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis which crippled the economies in the region despite heavy criticism that the mega structure is a waste of public money.

Skybridge & Observation Deck

To Tower 1 of the Petronas Twin Towers

© Hien

The lower deck of the skybridge linking the towers on levels 41 and 42 is open to public. The observation deck is located on level 86, at a height of 360 metres above ground.

Opening Hours

• Opens from Tuesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 21:00 (closed from 13:00 to 14:30pm on Fridays)
• Closed on Monday

Cost

Skybridge and observation deck admission rates (Retrieved on 01 January 2013)

There are limited tickets available and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket counter opens at 08:30, so be there early (preferably before 08:00 to secure yourself a ticket), especially when you are visiting during the peak seasons, school holidays or public holidays. Advance purchase is available. The ticket counter and entrance for visitors to the skybridge is located at Concourse (one level below the lobby area, accessible by escalators from both towers).

Suria KLCC

Suria KLCC is an upmarket shopping centre with over 400 shops across six floors. It houses mostly luxury and fashionable shops of internationally known brands.

Opening Hours

• Daily, from 10:00am to 10:00pm
• Outdoor cafés, bars and pubs facing the park may stay open until midnight.

Petrosains

Petrosains is a science centre run by the state oil company, Petronas. It is located on Level 4 (top floor) of Suria KLCC.

Opening Hours

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday to Friday: 09:30 to 17:30 (last admission at 16:00)
• Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday*: 09:30 to 18:30 (last admission at 17:00)

* except on Hari Raya Puasa (Eid al-Fitr) and Hari Raya Haji (Eid al-Adha)

Cost

Petrosains admission rates (Retrieved on 01 January 2013)

Aquaria KLCC

Aquaria KLCC is an oceanarium showcasing over 5,000 different exhibits of aquatic and land-bound creatures over a sprawling 60,000 square-foot space. It is located at the Concourse Level of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, which is adjacent to the towers, a five-minute walk from Suria KLCC.

Opening Hours

• Opens daily from 10:30 to 20:00
• Last admission at 19:00

Cost

Admission rates for Aquaria KLCC (Retrieved on 01 January 2013)

• Free admission for children under three years old.

Getting There

By Foot

The buildings are easily spotted when you're walking in the city centre. Simply walk towards the general direction of the towers. There are also pedestrian signs indicating the direction and distance to the towers.

By Train

Take the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Kelana Jaya Line to the KLCC station.

By Car

If you are driving, follow the KLCC road sign when you are in the city centre.

By Bus

RapidKL bus routes include B105, B114, U21, U22, U26, U28, U29 and U30. Alternatively, the free GoKL bus stops here too.

Eat

Within the Suria KLCC shopping centre are a wide ranging of cuisines catering those on a budget to those looking for fine dining.

• Ground - Outdoor cafés (facing the park and water fountain at the back)
• Level 2 - Signature (food court)
• Level 4 - Restaurants, Rasa Food Arena (food court)

Drink

Most indoor restaurants and outdoor cafés serve alcoholic beverages. However, as in most places in Asia, do expect to pay a higher price for drinking at an iconic place like this one.

External Links

• Petronas Twin Towers (Official Website)
• Suria KLCC
• Petrosains
• Aquaria KLCC