1 Utama is a

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...

in Bandar Utama,

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, with an area of and containing 713 stores. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia and the seventh-largest shopping mall in the world before

IOI City Mall IOI City Mall is a shopping mall located in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia, which was developed by IOI Group, IOI Properties Group Berhad and opened in November 2014. The second phase of the mall opened in 25 August 2022, making it the largest shoppi ...

Putrajaya Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya (), is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The Seat of government, seat of the Government of Malaysia, federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajay ...

surpassed it in 2022. The first phase of the mall, now known as the "Old Wing", was opened in September 1995. With the increase in customer traffic and demand for retail spaces inside the mall, a second phase called "New Wing" was added in 2003. An additional expansion of was added in 2018 with the addition of 1 Utama E. Today the mall houses multiple retail areas, restaurants, cafes, sports facilities, a

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

, and a bus station with national and international services. Current anchor tenants of the mall include

AEON The word aeon , also spelled eon (in American and Australian English), originally meant "life", "vital force" or "being", "generation" or "a period of time", though it tended to be translated as "age" in the sense of "ages", "forever", "timele ...

Department Store and Supermarket, Jaya Grocer, and department store Parkson. The mall formerly housed Singaporean department store

Tangs TANGS is a department store located on Orchard Road in Singapore, owned by C.K. Tang Limited. The store is regarded as a principal shopping destination in the city, comparable to Bloomingdale's in New York City and Selfridges in London. The co ...

, Japanese department store Isetan, and the first

IKEA IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services. IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...

store in Malaysia in 1996. The mall has received several awards, including Gold in EdgeProp Malaysia's Best Managed Property Awards 2019 (retail category) and the Platinum Award for Shopping Complex of the Year in the Retail World Excellence Awards 2006/07 edition.

History

In the 1990s, See Hoy Chan Holdings Group started developing a new town known as Bandar Utama comprising both residential and commercial areas. As market demand for this location surged, the developer planned to build a mall in this town. The developer looked for inspiration for such a mall in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1993 before designing the first phase of the mall known as the ''Old Wing'' today. As the developer believed that the mall should come with anchor tenants, they signed an agreement with

to open Jusco (later rebranded as AEON) as the main tenant in the mall. The mall was officially opened in September 1995 with all premises fully rented by various tenants. The cost of the construction of the first phase of the mall was RM89 million. The first

store in Malaysia opened on April 25, 1996 in the mall with a good reception from customers during the first few days after opening. At that time, most IKEA products sold there were made in Malaysia including dining tables,

chairs A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or Upholstery, upholstered ...

, coffee tables, venetian blinds,

cutting boards A cutting board (or chopping board) is a durable flat surface on which to place material for cutting. The kitchen cutting board is commonly used in food preparation with knives; other types exist for cutting raw materials such as leather, rubber o ...

toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and ...

and bed frames. The IKEA store covered of space inside the mall. Due to increased demand for IKEA products, the store was relocated to a bigger space in Mutiara Damansara on August 14, 2003, becoming the largest IKEA store in Asia-Pacific at that time until it was surpassed by another store in

Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang, Gyeonggi, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the nort ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

in 2014.

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As the mall faced increased demand for retail spaces, leading to a long tenant waiting list, the director of See Hoy Chan Holdings Group, Teo Chiang Kok, planned an expansion of the mall. This led to construction of the second phase, known as the ''New Wing'', to further accommodate increasing numbers of customers. Construction cost RM300 million and increased the number of retail lots from 220 units to 600 units. The two blocks are connected by a covered pedestrian bridge. The new section also includes an

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where Bird flight, they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flig ...

, zoo, diving pool and

climbing wall A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with manufactured grips (or "holds") for the hands and feet. Most walls are located indoors, and climbing on such walls is often termed indoor climbing. Some walls are brick or wooden constr ...

. The mall soft-opened on December 13, 2003, with the grand opening taking place on April 2, 2004, officiated by the

Sultan of Selangor Sultan of Selangor (سلطان سلاڠور) is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia who is the head of state and head of the Islamic religion in Selangor. The current monarch, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ascended the t ...

, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. Ownership and management of the mall was transferred to Bandar Utama City Centre. The first renovation of the first phase (or ''Old Wing'') took place in June 2011, 16 years after it opened, and cost RM160 million. The renovation included a relocation of the Jusco supermarket to the new area, additions of cinema screens, and a new entrance to the 1 First Avenue office building. An additional expansion of inside the mall included the third phase (known as 1 Utama E) which was opened on January 24, 2018. It features a

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

pool, a

skydiving Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes. For hu ...

wind tunnel A wind tunnel is "an apparatus for producing a controlled stream of air for conducting aerodynamic experiments". The experiment is conducted in the test section of the wind tunnel and a complete tunnel configuration includes air ducting to and f ...

and several

restaurants A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in app ...

and cafes which aim to make the mall a multi-sport and entertainment venue alongside shopping. The mall also added 500 more parking bays and pedestrian access to Bandar Utama MRT station. Development of this phase cost RM150 million.

Features

1 Utama contains of retail space. Its 713 stores appeal to all economic strata, from department stores such as

and Parkson, to high-end international chains and multiple restaurants such as the Food District food court, Din Tai Fung,

KFC KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's se ...

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

, Texas Chicken,

Dunkin' Donuts DD IP Holder LLC, doing business as Dunkin', and originally Dunkin' Donuts, is an American multinational coffee and doughnut company, as well as a quick service restaurant. It was founded by Bill Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 19 ...

and

Carl's Jr. Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain store, chain owned by CKE Restaurants, CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., who also owns Hardee's, with franchisees in North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa. ...

and two cinema chains,

TGV Cinemas TGV Cinemas Sdn Bhd (also known as TGV Pictures, formerly known as Tanjong Golden Village) is the second largest cinema chain in Malaysia. As of May 2024, TGV Cinemas has 40 multiplexes with 325 screens and more than 53,000 seats. TGV Cinemas i ...

and GSC. This mall previously housed the first

store in Malaysia, Cold Storage, MPH Bookstores. and Isetan department store. Aside from retail, 1 Utama offers sport amenities to the public including a

bowling alley A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...

, baseball cage,

pool and

. The

inside the mall was grown on October 25, 2003. It was done by extracting a '' Tabebuia rosea'' tree from a nearby forest carried into the mall to create the

forest canopy In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns. In forest ecology, the canopy is the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and includ ...

, whereas an additional 200 samplings of other species such as '' Alocasia'', wild banana, '' Johanesteijsmannia'', '' Aglaonema'' and ''Phyllagathis'' will be used as shrub layer. The rainforest opened to the public in November 2003. As of 2019, the mall attracts more than 33 million visitors annually, with peak traffic occurring during the

holiday season The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...

Transport

The mall is connected to several major roads including Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong and Lebuh Bandar Utama. In addition to providing 14,000 parking bays for cars, the mall also provides bicycle parking. The car park is also equipped with electric vehicle charging points. The mall is accessible via

public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

, including MRT via Bandar Utama MRT station or via

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

es from RapidKL bus service.

Incidents

Fires

There were two fires that broke out in the mall. The first fire was on February 25, 2013, which started in a storage facility in the children's playground equipment store which caused the whole building to experience a

power outage A power outage, also called a blackout, a power failure, a power blackout, a power loss, a power cut, or a power out is the complete loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user. There are many causes of power failures in an el ...

. The second fire occurred on July 11, 2014, when the fire broke out from the

kitchen A kitchen is a room (architecture), room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a Kitchen stove, stove, a sink ...

of one of the

food court A food court (in Asia-Pacific also called food hall or hawker centre) is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food Vendor, vendors and provides a common area for self-serve di ...

. Both fires were minor, and no casualties were reported.

Crime

In response to the abduction of Canny Ong in a shopping center in

Bangsar Bangsar is a residential suburb on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, lying about south-west of the city centre. It is part of the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency. Bangsar is administered by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), unlike ...

which led to her death on June 13, 2003, many shopping malls in

Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...

strengthened their security in order to protect their customers, including One Utama shopping mall where the management deployed additional policemen, guard dogs and

security guards A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, factory guard, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) ...

to patrol the mall. Despite this, there were several false alarms when some customers reported to police that their cars were stolen, when in fact the customers forgot where they had parked their cars. During

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

in 2014, a burglar stole jewellery worth RM10 million in one of the jewellery shops. The heist was planned by a

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

gang in advance before executing the burglary, which included hiding inside the mall as it closed, cutting off electricity, disabling the

burglar alarm A security alarm is a system designed to detect intrusions, such as unauthorized entry, into a building or other areas, such as a home or school. Security alarms protect against burglary (theft) or property damage, as well as against intruders. ...

system, stealing

CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...

recording units and melting safe doors using an oxy acetylene

torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end which can be used as a light source or to set something on fire. Torches have been used throughout history and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggl ...

Suicide

A woman fell to her death from the 4th floor at the new wing on 19 May 2021. The incident happened at 1 pm. The mall emergency response team quickly handled the situation before handing it over to the police. The management of One Utama has confirmed that the police will be investigating the matter further.

References

External links

Official website
{{Shopping malls in Malaysia 1995 establishments in Malaysia Buildings and structures completed in 1995 Petaling District Shopping malls established in 1995 Shopping malls in Selangor