Petronas Towers
The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers, are iconic twin skyscrapers located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Standing at 1,483 feet (451.9 meters), they were completed in 1996 and were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004. Designed by architect César Pelli, the towers feature 88 stories and are interconnected by the highest two-story bridge in the world, known as the Skybridge, which offers spectacular views of the city. The towers are named after PETRONAS, the Malaysian national petroleum company that occupies one of the towers, while various other global companies are housed in the adjacent tower.
The architecture blends modern skyscraper design with Islamic motifs, including a unique eight-pointed star floor plan that reflects Malaysia's cultural heritage. Visitors can explore the towers through guided tours, which include access to an observation deck and interactive displays. The surrounding Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) area offers various attractions, including a shopping mall, a concert hall, and a public park, making the Petronas Towers a central hub for both tourists and locals. The towers not only define the city's skyline but also symbolize Malaysia's aspirations on the global stage.
Petronas Towers
The Petronas Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Also known as the Petronas Twin Towers, the buildings are among the tallest in the world. The towers are one of the most recognized landmarks in Malaysia and attract many tourists.
The towers are named after the Malaysian petroleum company PETRONAS, which is short for Petroliam Nasional Bhd. The company was established in 1974. It has many subsidiaries and associated companies and does business in thirty-five countries.
Brief History
Project planning for the Petronas Towers began in 1992. The towers were designed by César Pelli, with the help of Deejay Cerico, J. C. Guinto, and Dominic Saibo. Construction of the buildings began in 1993 with excavation. Excavators dug 98 feet (30 meters) below the earth, which required hauling away more than five hundred truckloads of dirt every day. The massive foundations of the buildings were built next. This stage involved pouring 466,154 cubic feet (13,200 cubic meters) of concrete for each building. Following tests on the towers' design, work on the superstructure began in 1994. The Petronas Towers were completed in 1996 and were officially opened in 1999.
As of 2017, the Petronas Towers were the tallest twin towers ever built. The buildings stand at 1,483 feet (451.9 meters) tall. In 1998, they became the tallest buildings in the world, overtaking the Willis Tower—formerly called the Sears Tower—in Chicago, Illinois. They remained the world's tallest buildings until 2004 when they were surpassed by TAIPEI 101 in Taipei, Taiwan. As of 2017, the Petronas Towers were the eleventh-tallest buildings in the world, with Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, being the tallest at 2,717 feet (828 meters) high.
Overview
The Petronas Towers are located in the development area known as the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). Each of the towers has eighty-eight stories. The towers are connected at the forty-first and forty-second floors by a two-story bridge called the Skybridge. The bridge stretches 190 feet (58 meters) between the towers and has two support legs. At 574 feet (175 meters) off the ground, the Skybridge is the highest two-story bridge in the world. The bridge allows people to travel between the towers and provides views of Kuala Lumpur. The Petronas Towers have an observation deck on the eighty-sixth floor. The observation deck offers interactive displays and views of Kuala Lumpur. The basement of the towers houses a car park, which has 5,400 parking bays.
The Petronas Towers have twenty-nine double-decker high-speed passenger elevators, six service elevators, and four executive elevators. Different elevators serve different floors, except for the executive elevators, which serve every floor. It takes just 90 seconds for the executive elevators to travel from the car park to the top floor. Each of the towers has ten escalators.
The Petronas Towers house many offices. PETRONAS and its subsidiaries and associated companies occupy the entirety of one tower. Many other companies occupy the other tower, including Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Boeing, IBM, and Microsoft.
Along with the Kuala Lumpur Tower, the Petronas Towers define the Kuala Lumpur skyline. They also are an important Malaysian landmark, symbolizing Malaysian culture and the nation's ambitions to become a world power. The Petronas Towers are clad in stainless steel and glass and include Islamic designs reflective of Malaysia's official religion. The floor plate of each building features the Islamic geometric shape of two squares interlocked, which creates an eight-pointed star. This form represents Islamic principles. The entrance foyer of each tower includes designs that reflect traditional Malaysian handicrafts, including weaving.
The exterior of each tower is clad in 33,000 stainless steel panels and 55,000 glass panels. Special panels called Vision Glass filter light and reduce noise for people inside the towers. The towers are tapered at the top. Each tower's pinnacle includes aircraft warning lights and building maintenance equipment. The pinnacles also have a spire composed of twenty-three pieces and a ring ball with fourteen rings.
Visitors to the Petronas Towers can take a tour of the buildings. The tour begins with interactive displays that highlight the conception and construction of the towers. Visitors then board an elevator and travel to the Skybridge. Next, visitors travel to the observation deck. The tour concludes with a visit to the towers' gift shop.
Besides the tour of the Petronas Towers, the buildings and the surrounding area offer several attractions. The Petronas Art Gallery is located inside the towers. The Dewan Filharmonik Petronas concert hall sits between the towers. The concert hall is regarded as of the best in the world. An upscale shopping mall called Suria KLCC lies at the base of the towers. The mall houses the Petrosains Science Centre, which offers exhibits highlighting the petroleum industry. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is close to the Petronas Towers, and KLCC Park sits near the towers. The well landscaped park has a water fountain, a wading pool, a jogging track, and walking paths.
French urban climber and rock climber Alain Robert scaled the Petronas Towers on three occasions, each time using his bare hands and no safety equipment. Robert, also known as the French Spiderman, made his first attempt in 1997 but was arrested in the middle of the climb. He made another attempt in 2007 but again was arrested during the climb. In 2009, Robert successfully scaled the entire height of one of the towers. After he reached the top of the building, he displayed a Malaysian flag. Robert was arrested after the climb.
In 1999, Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner BASE jumped from the Petronas Towers. A parachute helped him safely land on the ground. Baumgartner set the world record for the highest BASE jump from a building, but that record has since been broken.
Bibliography
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