From BC ancient fortresses in the last post to AD 21st century architecture in one week! How amazing is that!
Because when we travel we want to see it all, right? Experience it all! See the old and the new and be equally amazed by both.
Such is the case with modern building architecture that takes man to new heights and it does seem that recently the race for the tallest-building-in-the-world title has been on.
Let’s see one of the tallest examples.
Petronas, to infinity and beyond
The Petronas Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and they were built from 1991 to 1998 (Ok, so not exactly 21st century, but you get my point) and have 88 floors each, 452 m in height.
Petronas is the national oil company in Malaysia and their corporate headquarters are located in Tower 1. The building houses mainly office space.
Up until 2004, The Petronas Towers were the tallest building in the world when they were replaced by the Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan who had the title until 2010 when it was replaced by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, of course.
Siamese twins
The Skybridge is located between levels 41 and 42 and unites the two towers, though it is not attached to the main structure to allow it to sway during winds.
The bridge is also intended as a safety precaution in case of evacuation.
The Petronas Towers are so tall, that sometimes clouds hide the upper floors. Fortunately, there are huge antennas with lights to warn the airplanes!
A nod to Islamic art
The design team for the Petronas Towers took inspiration from motifs found in Islamic art (being Islam the state religion of Malaysia), giving the towers their particular appearance.
Glass and concrete come together to form the spectacular façade and the cross section is based on an Islamic symbol called Rub el Hizb, but with some added circles to make better use of space.
And it was important to keep the Islamic influence because Malaysia has been a Muslim territory since the 15th century with the conversion of prince Parameswara who converted to Islam and founded the first independent state in the peninsula.
A must-see when visiting Malaysia
If you’re staying in the Golden Triangle, going to the towers is an easy walk. If not, getting there is as easy as taking a taxi.
Visiting the towers is easy enough, just get there early because visits to the Skybridge are limited to 1200 people per day. Tickets are sold at the ticket counter located in the underground Concourse Floor which opens at 8:30 am.
On Mondays the Skybridge is open only until 1 pm. Tickets are MYR 10 (USD $3.12). Tickets are usually sold out by 10 am. There is no restaurant at the Skybridge and you can only visit level 41.
I’ve also heard that you’re not allowed to stay for too long, just about 10 to 15 minutes, then you’re told to go down, I guess they do this to stagger the visits during the day.
Petronas sells another package which includes a visit to the Skybridge and a visit to the Observation Deck on floor 86. This package sells for MYR 40 (USD $12.5).
There’s a very trendy shopping mall at ground level, called the Suria KLCC that houses some of the most expensive brands in town!
There is also a movie theater, a concert hall, art gallery, conference venues and even a mosque.
Visited any skyscrapers lately?
Come and tell us about it in the comments!
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