Soaring majestically above the skyline of Kuala Lumpur, the Petronas Twin Towers are a marvel of architecture and engineering.
These twin skyscrapers, which were officially opened to the public on Aug 31, 1999 by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, are truly the pride of our nation: a glorious symbol of the wonders Malaysians can achieve.
At 452m high, the Petronas Twin Towers may have only been around for a quarter of a century, but it is hard to imagine our capital city without them.
So, in tribute to its 25th anniversary, here are five facts you may not have known about this majestic landmark.
1. The design of the Twin Towers is inspired by Islamic art
The steel and glass facade of the Twin Towers utilises many artistic motifs found in Islamic art. For instance, each tower’s floor plate is designed in the shape of an eight-pointed star, based on the geometric forms of two interlocking squares.
This symbolises the Islamic principles of unity, harmony, stability and rationality.
2. Each of the Twin Towers was designed by a different contractor
Due to the timeline given to complete the construction of the Twin Towers (six years!), the government split the work between two different contractors.
Tower 1 (the west tower) was built by a Japanese consortium led by the Hazama Corporation, while construction on Tower 2 (the east tower) was undertaken by a South Korean consortium led by Samsung C&T Corporation – the firm behind the building of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Given the high expense of importing steel, the towers were built using a more cost-effective yet innovative approach, involving super-high-strength reinforced concrete.
Both contractors performed admirably on the construction of the towers, with an average growth rate of one level built every four days. And thanks to their efforts, the landmark was completed in 1998 as scheduled.
3. The Skybridge has a highly practical function
You may associate the Twin Towers’ Skybridge with stunning views and wonderful selfies, but the 170m-high, double-decker structure actually serves another useful function.
Located between the 41st and 42nd floors, the Skybridge’s primary purpose is to facilitate evacuation from one tower to the other in the event of fire or other emergencies.
Fun fact: the sky bridge is not fully attached to the towers – it was slid into place between the buildings rather than being solidly connected to them on both sides!
4. The Twin Towers hold multiple world records
The Petronas Twin Towers were once the tallest buildings in the world, before being overtaken by Taiwan’s Taipei 101 (502m) in 2003.
Today, the world’s tallest building is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa at 828m, with Kuala Lumpur’s own Merdeka 118 coming in second place at 679m.
Nevertheless, the Twin Towers are still the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world, with the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai following closely at 355m.
Our national landmark also holds a number of other exceptional world records. For instance, the skybridge is the highest two-storey bridge in the world, while its foundations run a groundbreaking 120m deep.
5. The Twin Towers have had a colourful entertainment career
Thanks to their majestic beauty, the Twin Towers have been featured in many films from around the world. Their most notable appearance probably comes in the 1998 film “Entrapment”, starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, which involves the towers in a highly dramatic heist scene.
Other films in which you may have seen our beloved local landmark are “Don: The Chase Begins Again” (2006), “Viral Factor” (2012), “Independence Day: Resurgence” (2016), and the Kollywood film “Kabali” (2016).
And it’s not just movies: they have also made appearances in popular video games such as “Hitman 2: Silent Assassin” and “Just Cause 2”.
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