Session 6: Petronas Towers: Maintaining the Legacy
Dato Hashimah Hashim
Executive Director
KLCC Property Holdings Berhad, Kuala Lumpur
The Petronas Towers, when opened in 1998, in many ways introduced Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia to the world stage, especially when their height (451.9 meters) was determined by CTBUH to exceed that of the Sears (now Willis) Tower in Chicago, which had been the world’s tallest building since 1974. The development’s scope, scale, and design reflect the desire to create a representative manifestation of local traditions and ingenuity. In particular, the design is based on Islamic geometry, a reflection of Malaysia’s cultural heritage.
Twenty-one years on, the towers, part of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), anchor a development that has since become one of the most desirable districts in the city. A public park and a mosque have also been built in the area and are open to everyone. The whole project uses a district cooling system, located on the property. These unique features, and the careful maintenance and expansion of the property, will maintain its relevance as Malaysia and many other nations continue to build taller.