Update on the tower for Warisan Merdeka project
A mega-scale project by PNB at the area nearby heritage places, Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara had been announced to the Parliament, the media, and to the general public. It received many positive as well as negative reviews from many parties since the news is released two months ago.
Here, there is an update to the skyscraper proposal of the project. The official name of the tower is yet to be announced later, and it is definitely not going to be named ‘Warisan Merdeka Tower’. This name isn’t international enough to bring Malaysia forward to global status, and is only used as starting name. The project goes on if the current government maintains, under the same Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak after the upcoming general election which will be held next year.
A Melbourne architecture firm, Fender Katsalidis which had designed numerous buildings around the world like the Eureka Tower (tallest in Melbourne) had won the design tender recently to design on what will be the world second tallest tower, just behind the 828m Burj Khalifa. However, once the skyscraper is completed, there would be already several taller buildings have been built, mainly in China. However, this upcoming Malaysian skyscraper would definitely get a place in top 10 with over 580m height, and over 100 floors (must be at least over 120 floors to achieve such height). By the time, our current tallest buildings in Malaysia, Petronas Twin Towers would be out in top 10 ranking (currently in 5th and 6th place).
The cost of the new tower has not been finalised (it’s going to cost a lot), and detailed drawings are not yet available for approval and construction. The initial design is out, but changes can still be applied to that, to increase its suitability to be built in Malaysia, representing the nation as a developed nation in near future. The design is not released to public yet, but the firm hinted that the building would be a crystalline structure with a shape inspired by Islamic patterning. Again, Islamic patterns are used in design of buildings in Malaysia, just like Petronas Twin Towers.
Why can’t they get out of that and design something far better than just based on Islam motifs? Yes, it is beautiful, but please, we should not stick to that, we should go beyond that even in the design of the tower that would then represents Malaysia as an iconic landmark and symbol of the nation. One more point, I don’t think a crystalline building fits in Kuala Lumpur. This must be the first attempt to have a crystalline office building in the capital. It would be looking weird, but it would be nice on those angles, reflection, lightness and blurring with the sky. I always love such effects from crystalline-shaped buildings. Sustainability will also be another important issue for this new tower, as currently this topic is very hot and famous around the world for every major building projects.
It’s should be the time already to spread the news of the project to the world, as an action to let the world knows what’s going on good in Malaysia. We have not been through this for over 10 years, after the completion of the world tallest buildings at that time in 1998, the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. It’s time again, for another one. Spread this out, it’s a mega-scale project, a supertall skyscraper proposed in Kuala Lumpur. Let all people get noticed of it, and started to talk about it! Then, it would put Malaysia further on the global level!
Part of Kuala Lumpur’s skyline: (not my own picture)
