The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers or KLCC Twin Towers, (
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
: ''Menara Berkembar Petronas'') are 88-storey
supertall skyscrapers in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, standing at . From 1998 to 2003, they were officially designated as the
tallest buildings in the world until they were surpassed by the 2004 completion of the
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 (; stylized as TAIPEI 101), formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a supertall skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. This building was officially classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2009 ...
. The Petronas Towers are the world's
tallest twin skyscrapers and remained as the
tallest buildings in Malaysia until 2019, when they were surpassed by the
The Exchange 106
The Exchange 106, formerly known as Signature Tower is a 453.6-meter-tall supertall skyscraper in Tun Razak Exchange, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is second tallest building in Malaysia, third tallest building in Southeast Asia, and the 14th ...
. The Petronas Towers are a major landmark of Kuala Lumpur, along with the nearby
Kuala Lumpur Tower
Kuala Lumpur Tower, also known as KL Tower and KL421 is a 15-story, 420.7-meter-tall telecommunication tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the world's 7th tallest tower, also, Malaysia and Southeast Asia's tallest tower. Its construction w ...
and
Merdeka 118
Merdeka 118, formerly known as Warisan Merdeka Tower and KL 118, is a 118-storey, 678.9-metre-tall megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the world's second-tallest structure, surpassing the Tokyo Skytree at and the world's sec ...
, and are visible in many places across the city.
History and architecture
The Petronas Towers' structural system is a
tube in tube design, invented by architect
Fazlur Rahman Khan
Fazlur Rahman Khan ( bn, ফজলুর রহমান খান, ''Fozlur Rôhman Khan''; 3 April 1929 – 27 March 1982) was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect, who initiated important structural systems for skyscrape ...
. Applying a tube-structure for extreme tall buildings is a common phenomenon.
The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade designed to resemble motifs found in
Islamic art
Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide ra ...
, a reflection of Malaysia's
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
religion. Another Islamic influence on the design is that the
cross section
Cross section may refer to:
* Cross section (geometry)
** Cross-sectional views in architecture & engineering 3D
*Cross section (geology)
* Cross section (electronics)
* Radar cross section, measure of detectability
* Cross section (physics)
**Abs ...
of the towers is based on a
Rub el Hizb
The Rub-el-Hizb ( ar, ربع الحزب, '), also known as the Islamic Star, is an Islamic symbol. It is in the shape of an octagram, represented as two overlapping squares. It has been found on a number of emblems and flags. The main purpose of ...
, albeit with circular sectors added to meet office space requirements. The circular sectors are similar to the bottom part of the
Qutub Minar
The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and "victory tower" that forms part of the Qutb complex, which lies at the site of Delhi’s oldest fortified city, Lal Kot, founded by the Tomar Rajputs. It is a UNESCO W ...
.
![Qutub Minar danibaba5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Qutub_Minar_danibaba5.jpg)
The towers were designed by
Argentine-American
Argentine Americans ( es, argentino-estadounidense) are Americans whose full or partial origin is in Argentina.
They are part of the broader Hispanic and Latino American category, and make up a scant 0.1% of the U.S. population, compared to lar ...
architect
César Pelli. A distinctive
postmodern style was chosen to create a 21st-century icon for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Planning on the Petronas Towers started on 1 January 1992 and included rigorous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads on the design. Seven years of construction followed at the former site of the original
Selangor Turf Club
Selangor Turf Club is a horse racing track located in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. It is one of three horse racing courses in the country; the other two are in Ipoh, Perak and Penang.
History
Selangor Turf Club was founded in 1896. For nearly ...
, beginning on 1 March 1993 with excavation, which involved moving 500 truckloads of earth every night to dig down below the surface.
The construction of the superstructure commenced on 1 April 1994. Interiors with furniture were completed on 1 January 1996, the spires of Tower 1 and Tower 2 were completed on 1 March 1996, 3 years after its construction was started, and the first batch of
Petronas
Petroliam Nasional Berhad (National Petroleum Limited), commonly known as Petronas, is a Malaysian oil and gas company. Established in 1974 and wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with all oil and gas reso ...
personnel moved into the building on 1 January 1997. The building was officially opened by the
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The prime minister of Malaysia ( ms, Perdana Menteri Malaysia; ms, ڤردان منتري مليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the fed ...
,
Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, on 31 August 1999. The twin towers were built on the site of Kuala Lumpur's race track. It was the tallest structure in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
at the time of its completion. Test boreholes found that the original construction site effectively sat on the edge of a cliff. One half of the site was decayed limestone while the other half was soft rock. The entire site was moved to allow the buildings to sit entirely on the soft rock.
[National Geographic Channel International / Caroline Anstey (2005), ''Megastructures: Petronas Twin Towers''] Because of the depth of the
bedrock, the buildings were built on the world's deepest foundations. 104 concrete piles, ranging from deep, were bored into the ground. The concrete raft foundation, comprising of concrete was continuously poured through a period of 54 hours for each tower. The raft is thick, weighs and held the world record for the largest concrete pour until 2007.
The foundations were completed within 12 months by Bachy Soletanche and required massive amounts of concrete.
As a result of the Malaysian government specifying that the buildings be completed in six years, two construction consortia were hired to meet the deadline, one for each tower. Tower 1, the west tower (left in the top-right photograph) was built by a Japanese consortium led by the
Hazama Corporation
, is one of the 10 biggest construction companies in Japan. It was launched in 2013 by the merger of the Hazama Corporation and Ando Corporation. It has overseas offices in Asia, especially in the South Asian countries like Nepal, as well as in th ...
(
JA Jones Construction Co., MMC Engineering Services Sdn Bhd, Ho Hup Construction Co. Bhd and
Mitsubishi Corp
is Japan's largest trading company ( sogo shosha) and a member of the Mitsubishi keiretsu. As of 2022, Mitsubishi Corporation employs over 80,000 people and has ten business segments, including finance, banking, energy, machinery, chemical ...
) while Tower 2, the east tower (right in the top-right photograph) was built by a South Korean consortium led by the
Samsung C&T Corporation
Samsung C&T Corporation ("Construction & Trading Corporation"; formerly Samsung Corporation; Korean: 삼성물산), is a South Korean construction and engineering company. It was founded in 1938 as the first Samsung company and was initially in ...
(Kukdong Engineering & Construction and Syarikat Jasatera Sdn Bhd).
Early into construction a batch of concrete failed a routine strength test causing construction to come to a complete halt. All the completed floors were tested but it was found that only one had used a bad batch and it was demolished. As a result of the concrete failure, each new batch was tested before being poured. The halt in construction had cost US$700,000 per day and led to three separate
concrete plant
A concrete plant, also known as a batch plant or batching plant or a concrete batching plant, is equipment that combines various ingredients to form concrete. Some of these inputs include water, air, admixtures, sand, aggregate (rocks, gravel ...
s being set up on the site to ensure that if one produced a bad batch, the other two could continue to supply concrete. The sky bridge contract was completed by Kukdong Engineering & Construction. Tower 2 (Samsung C&T) became the first to reach the world's tallest building at the time.
Due to the huge cost of importing steel, the towers were constructed on a cheaper radical design of super high-strength reinforced concrete. High-strength concrete is a material familiar to Asian contractors and twice as effective as steel in sway reduction; however, it makes the building twice as heavy on its foundation as a comparable steel building. Supported by 23-by-23 metre concrete cores and an outer ring of widely spaced super columns, the towers use a sophisticated structural system that accommodates its slender profile and provides 560,000 square metres of column-free office space. Below the twin towers is
Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC is a 6-story shopping mall located at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers. Suria KLCC is a premier shopping destination with over 300 flagship stores. The shopping mall is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysi ...
, a shopping mall, and
Petronas Philharmonic Hall
The Petronas Philharmonic Hall ( ms, Dewan Filharmonik Petronas) is Malaysia's first concert hall built specifically for classical music. It is the home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), and has hosted many of the world's leading or ...
, the home of the
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO; ms, Orkestra Filharmonik Malaysia) is a Malaysian orchestra based in Kuala Lumpur. The orchestra is resident at the Petronas Philharmonic Hall (Dewan Filharmonik Petronas). It is one of Asia's leading ...
.
Notable events
* On 15 April 1999,
Felix Baumgartner
Felix Baumgartner (; born 20 April 1969) is an Austrian skydiver, daredevil and BASE jumper. He is widely known for jumping to Earth from a helium balloon from the stratosphere on 14 October 2012 and landing in New Mexico, United States, as par ...
set the world record for
BASE jumping (since broken) by jumping off a window cleaning crane on the Petronas Towers.
* Thousands of people were evacuated on 12 September 2001 after a bomb threat the day after the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
destroyed the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may refer to:
Buildings
* List of World Trade Centers
* World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
towers in New York City. Bomb disposal squads found no explosives in the towers, but they nevertheless evacuated the premises. Workers and shoppers were allowed to return three hours later, around noon. No one was hurt during the evacuation.
* On the evening of 4 November 2005, a fire broke out in the
cinema complex of the Suria KLCC shopping centre below the Petronas Towers, triggering panic among patrons. There were no reports of injuries. The buildings were largely empty, except the shopping mall, Suria KLCC, because of the late hour; the only people involved were moviegoers and some diners in restaurants.
* On the morning of 1 September 2009, French urban climber
Alain "Spiderman" Robert, using only his bare hands and feet and with no safety devices, scaled to the top of Tower Two in just under 2 hours after two previous efforts had ended in arrest. In his first attempt on 20 March 1997, police arrested him at the 60th floor, 28 floors away from the "summit". His second attempt, on 20 March 2007, exactly 10 years later, was also stopped on the same floor, though on the other tower.
Anchor tenants
Tower One is fully occupied by
Petronas
Petroliam Nasional Berhad (National Petroleum Limited), commonly known as Petronas, is a Malaysian oil and gas company. Established in 1974 and wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with all oil and gas reso ...
and a number of its subsidiaries and associate companies, while the office spaces in Tower Two are mostly available for lease to other companies. A number of companies have offices in Tower Two, including SapuraOMV Upstream (Sarawak) Inc.,
Huawei Technologies
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ( ; ) is a Chinese multinational technology corporation headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It designs, develops, produces and sells telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics and various smart ...
,
AVEVA
AVEVA Group plc is a British multinational information technology consulting company headquartered in Cambridge, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The company started as the Comp ...
,
Al Jazeera English, Carigali Hess,
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to:
People
* Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer
* Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian
* Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and m ...
,
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...
,
IBM,
Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Khazanah Nasional Berhad is the sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Malaysia, entrusted with growing the nation's long-term wealth via distinct commercial and strategic objectives. Khazanah's commercial objective is to grow financial as ...
,
McKinsey & Co
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...
,
WIPRO Limited
Wipro Limited (formerly, Western India Palm Refined Oils Limited) is an Indian multinational corporation that provides information technology, consulting and business process services. Thierry Delaporte is serving as CEO and managing directo ...
,
TCS TCS may refer to:
Organisations
* Tata Consultancy Services, an IT company headquartered in India
* Taxpayers for Common Sense, a US nonpartisan federal budget watchdog organization
* TCS Courier, a Pakistani courier service
* Touring Club Suisse ...
,
HCL Technologies
HCLTech (formerly Hindustan Computers Limited or HCL Technologies) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company headquartered in Noida.It emerged as an independent company in 1991 when HCL entered into ...
, Krawler,
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
, The Agency (a modelling company) and
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
.
Floor distribution
''(the given chart is the floor arrangement according to the level arrangement.)''
Features
Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC is a 6-story shopping mall located at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers. Suria KLCC is a premier shopping destination with over 300 flagship stores. The shopping mall is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysi ...
is a upscale retail center at the foot of the Petronas Towers. It features mostly foreign luxury goods and high-street labels. Its attractions include an art gallery, an underwater aquarium and also a Science center. Boasting approximately 300 stores, Suria KLCC is touted as one of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia. The
Petronas Philharmonic Hall
The Petronas Philharmonic Hall ( ms, Dewan Filharmonik Petronas) is Malaysia's first concert hall built specifically for classical music. It is the home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), and has hosted many of the world's leading or ...
, also built at the base of the towers, is frequently associated with Suria KLCC's floorspace. During holidays or celebration days, Suria KLCC is the top spot to see the beautiful decorations especially at the main entrances and also in Centre Court. It also promotes the uniqueness and beauty of Malaysia’s cultural diversity towards the visitors.
File:Inside View of Petronas.jpg, Inside View of Suria KLCC Shopping Centre
File:Suria KLCC 2012.JPG, Inside the Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC is a 6-story shopping mall located at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers. Suria KLCC is a premier shopping destination with over 300 flagship stores. The shopping mall is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysi ...
File:Suria KLCC (park entrance 2), Kuala Lumpur.jpg, Entrance of Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC is a 6-story shopping mall located at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers. Suria KLCC is a premier shopping destination with over 300 flagship stores. The shopping mall is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysi ...
File:Kampung House decoration at Suria KLCC's centre court for Hari Raya.jpg, Kampung House decoration at Suria KLCC's centre court for Hari Raya
, nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast
, observedby = Muslims
, type = Islamic
, longtype = Islamic
, significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan
, date ...
.
File:Deepavali decoration at Suria KLCC.jpg, Deepavali decoration at Suria KLCC's centre court.
File:Christmas decoration at Suria KLCC's centre court.jpg, Christmas decoration at Suria KLCC's centre court.
File:Chinese New Year decoration at Suria KLCC's centre court.jpg, Chinese New Year decoration at Suria KLCC's centre court.
File:The Tallest Giant "Ketupat" Decoration Replica in Malaysia!.jpg, The Tallest Giant "Ketupat" Decoration for Raya at Suria KLCC
KLCC Park
![KLCC Park 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/KLCC_Park_2010.jpg)
Spanning below the building is the
KLCC Park
The KLCC Park (Malay: ''Taman KLCC'') is an urban park in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The park has been designed to provide greenery to Petronas Twin Towers and the areas surrounding it.
Design
The park was designed by Rob ...
with jogging and walking paths, a fountain with incorporated light show, wading pools, and a children's playground.
Skybridge
The towers feature a double decker
skybridge connecting the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. It is not attached to the main structure, but is instead designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking, as the towers sway several feet in towards and away from each other during high winds. It also provides some structural support to the towers in these occasions. The bridge is above the ground and long, weighing 750 tons. The same floor is also known as the podium, since visitors going to higher levels have to change elevators here. Dynamic analyses were performed and iterated to support the final design by studying the structural behavior of the twin towers to time-varying loads such as earthquakes and wind.The skybridge is open to all visitors, but tickets are limited to about 1,000 people per day, and must be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis. Initially, the visit was free but in 2010, the tickets started being sold by Petronas. Visitors can choose to opt for package one which is just a visit to the skybridge or go for package two to go to the skybridge and all the way to level 86. Visitors are only allowed on the 41st floor as the 42nd floor can only be used by the tenants of the building.
The skybridge also acts as a safety device, so that in the event of a fire or other emergency in one tower, tenants can evacuate by crossing the skybridge to the other tower. The total evacuation triggered by a bomb hoax on 12 September 2001 (the day after the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City) showed that the bridge would not be useful if both towers need to be emptied simultaneously, as the capacity of the staircases was insufficient for such an event. Plans thus call for the lifts to be used if both towers need to be evacuated, and a successful drill following the revised plan was conducted in 2005.
There is a two hinged arch that supports the skybridge with arch legs, each long, that are bolted to level 29 of each of the towers.
After being constructed on the ground, the skybridge was lifted into place on the towers over a period of three days
in July 1995.
Instead of being directly connected to the towers, the skybridge can shift or slide in and out of them to counterbalance any effect from the wind. Residing on the 41st and 42nd floors, the skybridge connects a conference room, an executive dining room and a prayer room.
File:Skybridge petronas twin towers kl.jpg, A skybridge connects the two towers
File:SkyBridge.JPG, An inside view of the skybridge
File:KLCC skybridge view.jpg, View to the northwest from the Petronas Towers skybridge, including the shadow of Tower 1 and the skybridge, and the Public Bank Berhad
Public Bank Berhad () is a bank based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, offering financial services in Malaysia as well as the Asia-Pacific region.
The bank was founded in 1966 by Teh Hong Piow, the then general manager of Malayan Banking. The bank w ...
building
Lift system
The main bank of
lifts is located in the centre of each tower. All main lifts are
double-decker with the lower deck of the lift taking passengers to even-numbered floors and upper deck to odd-numbered floors. To reach an odd-numbered floor from ground level, passengers must take an
escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
to the upper deck of the lift.
There are 29 double-deck passenger elevators, but there are different sets that service certain floors of the towers, specifically two sets of six of these double-deck passenger elevators to floors 1–23 and 1–37 respectively. Another set of 5 passenger lifts transport passengers to the 41st and 42nd floors where they can switch lifts to reach the upper zones of the buildings, each double-deck passenger lift with the capacity of 52 passengers or, 26 passengers per deck. There are also 6 heavy-duty elevators for utility.
The lift operating chart of the Petronas Towers
* PL7A-PL7C (Tower 1) & PL8A-PL8C (Tower 2) (Parking & Podium Passenger Lift): P5-P1, C, G, 1, 2, 2M, 3–5 (PL7A & PL8A non-stop at level 2M)
* SL6 (Tower 1) & SL7 (Tower 2) (Parking & Podium Service Lift): P5-P1, 1, 2, 2M, 3–5 (SL7 non-stop at level 2M)
* PL14 (Tower 1) & PL15 (Tower 2) (Concert Passenger Lift): G, 2, 2M, 3, 4
* A1-A6 (Tower 1) & A7-A12 (Tower 2) (Bank A Passenger Lift): G/1, 8–23
* B1-B6 (Tower 1) & B7-B12 (Tower 2) (Bank B Passenger Lift): G/1, 23–37
* - (Tower 1) & - (Tower 2) (Conference Shuttle Lift): 36, 37, 40–43
* C1-C6 (Tower 1) & C7-C12 (Tower 2) (Bank C Passenger Lift): 41/42, 44–61
* D1-D3 (Tower 1) & D4-D6 (Tower 2) (Bank D Passenger Lift): 41/42, 61, 69–83
* E1-E3 (Tower 1) & E4-E6 (Tower 2) (Bank E Passenger Lift): 41/42, 61–73
* TE1-TE2 (Tower 1) & TE3-TE4 (Tower 2) (Upper Level Passenger Lift): 83, 85, 86
* - (Tower 1) & - (Tower 2) (Shuttle Lift): G/1, 41/42
* S1-S2 (Tower 1) & S4-S5 (Tower 2) (Service Lift): P1, C, G, 2–6, 8–38, 40–84
* S3 (Tower 1) & S6(Tower 2) (Lower Level Service Lift): P1, C, G, 2–6, 8–37
* F1-F2 (Tower 1) & F3-F4 (Tower 2) (Fireman Service Lift): P1, C, CM, G, 1–6, 8–38, 40–84, 84M1, 84M2, 85, 86 (F1 & F3 non-stop at Level 1)
Service building
The service building is to the east of the Petronas Towers and contains the chiller plant system and the cooling towers to keep the Petronas Towers cool and comfortable.
Ticketing system
In order to visit the Petronas Towers, visitors must first purchase tickets. Tickets can be purchased online or at the counter. Discounted tickets for seniors are available for those 55 years of age and above. Queues for tickets can get quite long sometimes. The complete ticketing system is provided by the Malaysian-based Longbow Technologies Sdn Bhd.
In popular culture
* The towers are prominently featured and mentioned by name in the 1999 film ''
Entrapment'', with numerous scenes filmed at the towers, with the climax set on the skybridge. CGI was used to add slums to the bottom of the towers.
* The Towers appear in the first episode of the US TV series ''
24''.
* In Malaysia the television animated series Malaysian 2011 ''
BoBoiBoy'' (2011), Building Twin Towers Petronas Towers appear, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
* Several scenes of the
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
film ''
Don: The Chase Begins Again'' were also filmed in the Petronas Towers and its skybridge.
* In Part 1 of the ''
Phineas and Ferb
''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as ...
'' episode "Phineas and Ferb Save Summer!", the towers are visible during the musical number "Summer All Over the World".
*
Eidos Interactive has twice used the towers for inspiration in their video games. In the 2002 ''
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin'', the Malaysia-based levels ''Basement Killing'', ''The Graveyard Shift'', and ''The Jacuzzi Job'' all take place in the Petronas Towers. In 2010's ''
Just Cause 2'', the fictional Panau Falls Casino is based on the Petronas Towers.
* A 2002 episode of the animated series ''
Jackie Chan Adventures
''Jackie Chan Adventures'' is an American animated television series, created by John Rogers, Duane Capizzi and Jeff Kline, and produced by Sony Pictures Television (originally as Columbia TriStar Television for the first three seasons). The ca ...
'' titled "When Pigs Fly" (Season 3, Episode 6), features the towers.
* A 2002 episode of ''
The Amazing Race 3
''The Amazing Race 3'' is the third season of the American reality television show ''The Amazing Race''. It featured twelve teams of two people in a race around the world.
The season premiered on CBS October 2, 2002, and ended on December 18, 2 ...
'' ("Why Did You Have To Take Your Pants Off?") featured the Petronas Towers as part of a task in which the competing team had to have their photograph taken in front of the towers. The towers were seen again 21 seasons later on an episode of ''
The Amazing Race 24
''The Amazing Race 24'' (also known as ''The Amazing Race: All-Stars'') is the twenty-fourth season of the American reality television show ''The Amazing Race''. It featured eleven teams of two, each returning from a previous edition of ''The Ama ...
'' ("Smarter, Not Harder").
* The towers made its appearance, in the animated series ''
Totally Spies
''Totally Spies!'' is an animated spy-fi series created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel mainly produced by French animation company Marathon Media and French broadcaster TF1, with seasons 3 to 5 being co-produced with Canadian com ...
'' episode titled "Man or Machine".
* The opening of the 2010 film ''
Fair Game'' had scenes with the twin towers along with the skyline of Kuala Lumpur.
* A number of scenes for the 2012 Hong Kong-Chinese
action film
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
''
Viral Factor'' included shots of the twin towers.
* In the 2016 film ''
Independence Day: Resurgence'', the towers are dropped onto the
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a Listed building#Grade I, Grade I listed combined Bascule bridge, bascule and Suspended-deck suspension bridge, suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones (architect), Horace Jones and e ...
by aliens, with a character commenting: "They like to get the landmarks".
*In the 2009 History Channel original program ''
Life After People
''Life After People'' is a television series on which scientists, mechanical engineers, and other experts speculate about what might become of planet Earth if humanity suddenly disappeared. The featured experts also talk about the impact of hu ...
'', the towers make an appearance in the episode titled "Bound and Buried", and it is stated that the towers would survive approximately 500 years without human maintenance, eventually collapsing from the weathering and erosion of Malaysia's tropical climate.
* In 2005, the towers are visible in the album cover of ''
Controversy Loves Company
''Controversy Loves Company'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Audition, released on September 20, 2005 through Victory Records. After some membership changes, the band released their debut EP in mid-2004, and by November 2004 ...
'' by American pop punk band
The Audition.
Photo gallery
File:The Twins SE Asia 2019 (49171985716).jpg, Petronas Towers with their surroundings in December 2019
File:Petronas Towers at night (7025662613).jpg, Night view of Petronas Towers and the surrounding KLCC business district.
File:Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur (3323152170).jpg, At night from 29th floor of Traders Hotel
File:Petronas Towers at Night - from the base upwards.jpg, Looking up from the base at night with a large Malaysian flag
File:Petronas Towers at sunset.JPG, Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at sunset
File:Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur.jpg, Night image of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, taken from behind
File:Petronas Towers.JPG, Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
File:Petronas Tower spire.JPG, One of the Petronas Towers' spires
File:Inside View of Festival Time.jpg, Inside View of Festival Time at Petronas Twin Towers
File:Petronas Towers by Day.jpg, The Petronas Towers from their bases
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur (2) (10498382174).jpg, The Petronas Towers from their bases
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur (1) (10498571923).jpg, Detailed view from one of the towers
See also
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Petronas Tower 3
Petronas Tower 3, also known as Carigali Tower, is a 60-story, 267-meter-tall skyscraper in KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is Malaysia's eighth tallest building and it is also part of the Petronas Towers complex. The 246-meter high buildin ...
*
The Exchange 106
The Exchange 106, formerly known as Signature Tower is a 453.6-meter-tall supertall skyscraper in Tun Razak Exchange, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is second tallest building in Malaysia, third tallest building in Southeast Asia, and the 14th ...
*
List of skyscrapers
This list of tallest buildings includes skyscrapers with continuously occupiable floors and a height of at least . Non-building structures, such as towers, are not included in this list (for these, see '' List of tallest buildings and structu ...
*
List of tallest buildings and structures in the world
The world's tallest human-made structure is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (of the United Arab Emirates). The building gained the official title of "tallest building in the world" and the tallest self-supported structure at its opening on January ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Kuala Lumpur
According to a 2009 estimate by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Kuala Lumpur was projected to rank 10th among the cities with the most completed buildings above 100 metres with a combined height of 34,035 metres from its 244 high ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Malaysia
This is a list of tallest skyscrapers in Malaysia. The skyscrapers are ranked by structural height.
Most of Malaysia's tallest buildings can be found in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. According to the World Tallest 50 Urban Agglomeration 2010 ...
*
List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
This is a list of tallest freestanding structures in the world past and present. To be freestanding a structure must not be supported by guy wires, the sea or other types of support. It therefore does not include guyed masts, partially guyed t ...
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Menara Telekom
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Merdeka PNB 118
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Skyscraper Index
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Vanity height
Vanity height is defined by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) as the height difference between a skyscraper's pinnacle and the highest usable floor (usually observatory, office, restaurant, retail or hotel/residential). Becau ...
References
External links
Petronas Towers official websitePetronas Tower 1on
CTBUH
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design. A non-profit organization based at the Monroe Building in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States ...
Skyscraper Center
Petronas Tower 2on
CTBUH
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design. A non-profit organization based at the Monroe Building in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States ...
Skyscraper Center
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Introduction and Overview of the Petronas Towers*
{{Authority control
1998 establishments in Malaysia
César Pelli buildings
Former world's tallest buildings
MSC Malaysia
Office buildings completed in 1998
Office buildings in Kuala Lumpur
Towers
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specific ...
Postmodern architecture in Malaysia
Skyscraper office buildings in Kuala Lumpur
Tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur
Twin towers