KUALA LUMPUR – The world’s second tallest building, the Merdeka 118 tower, is almost nearing completion, but it will take two years for the skyscraper to open its doors to visitors and tenants.
Tengku Datuk Ab Aziz Tengku Mahmud, the CEO of PNB Merdeka Ventures Bhd, owner of the building said despite the project being 92% complete as of July this year, it will only be officiated in 2023.
“It is a special tower, so of course, we have to find a special date for its launch,” he said, agreeing that August 31 is the most likely date for the officiating ceremony.
“Of course, it is too late for this year, but 2023 is what we are targeting,” he added.
Ab Aziz was speaking on the sidelines of a media tour he led this morning as part of a progress report on the 118-storey complex, loosely referred to as the PNB Tower or the Warisan Merdeka Tower.
The tower incorporates Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur which features the top 17 floors of the 678.9m structure.
Park Hyatt has a 21-year contract to manage one of the tallest hotels in the world.
It also features, amongst others, Southeast Asia’s highest observation deck named The View at 118, and the seven-storey 118 Mall at the podium.
Thrill seekers will also be able to do a skywalk on a glass bottom floor on the 118th floor.
A total of 87 high-speed elevators will take visitors from the ground floor to the top in a minute.
The project site also incorporates a four-acre linear park, a museum, a child care centre and a mosque.
The Merdeka Residences residential towers that feature 800 apartments will be completed in 2027.
The project site also incorporates the two iconic stadiums – the Merdeka Stadium and Stadium Negara which have been gazetted as national heritage sites.
“We want people to have a complete experience – whether you are there for dining, work, or to watch a game. Merdeka 118 will be at the centre of it all,” Ab Aziz said.
Ab Aziz emphasised that the 40-acre piece of land where the tower and the surrounding associated developments are being constructed also includes the two stadiums, taking up 50% of the space.
“So in essence the tower and everything else only takes up 20 acres,” he said, emphasising that a lot of thought had gone into the design to respect the historical significance of the area as well as the sentiments of the people.
He said once the 1.7 million square feet of office spaces are completed this year, 10,000 people will be able to work at Merdeka 118.
The entire tower has a square acreage of 3.1 million.
“Of course, the pandemic had delayed progress a little,” he said, alluding to the fact that the tower was originally scheduled to be completed in 2020. In spite of this, the tower is only six months behind.
He said the enthusiasm of future tenants and those who signed leases have not wavered.
“Expectedly, the pandemic has caused some to review their requirements but it has not impacted the attractiveness of Merdeka 118 as a place for work and leisure,” he said, adding that the historical character of the project and the surrounding neighbourhoods which includes Petaling Street (Chinatown), the Chin Woo Stadium, Victoria Institution and Pudu give it an added appeal.
With a price tag of RM5 billion, Merdeka 118 will also be the new headquarters of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), where the present headquarters – the PNB Tower in Jalan Tun Razak will continue to bring in revenue as another real estate asset of PNB.
Despite boasting 8,100 parking bays, Ab Aziz says Merdeka 118 encourages the use of public transport with the Merdeka MRT station (Sg Buloh-Kajang Line) located within the complex, as well as the Hang Tuah station (Ampang LRT line); Plaza Rakyat station (Ampang LRT line); Pasar Seni station (Kelana Jaya LRT line); and the Maharaja Lela station (KL Monorail).
A pedestrian bridge also links the Bukit Bintang shopping district.
Traffic dispersal efforts include a 1,470m tunnel, 800m of total length in flyovers, and 106,000sqm of road improvements.
Complying with present sustainability and green energy requirements, the complex is the first triple green platinum-rated building in the country which adopts grey water storage, smart air recycling and façade glazing.
Merdeka 118 is currently only dwarfed by the 828m Burj Khalifa in Dubai. – The Vibes, August 4, 2022
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