One of the most iconic buildings in Malaysia are the Petronas Towers. You may not know its name but you have surely seen the double and united profile of these two tall towers many times, an emblem of the country but also of modern architecture.
Our species is characterized by wanting to reach the skies so here is one of the most elegant skyscrapers in the world. Where? On Kuala Lumpur. If you decide to visit that part of the world, being at its feet and at its tip is something you should not miss.
The Petronas Towers
They are in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia and its largest and most important city. The city is about 243 square kilometers in area and is inhabited by almost 1.8 million people, not counting the suburban surroundings where almost eight million more live. The truth is that it has grown a lot for some time now and is one of the fastest growing in Asia.
The towers are one of the tallest buildings in the world and they held that title for six years, between 1998 and 2004 specifically. They rise 452 meters from the ground. Each tower weighs about 300 tons, the equivalent of almost 43 elephants. They were designed by a prestigious Argentine architect named César Pelli (also responsible for the World Financial Center in New York) and have a super characteristic design.
The Argentine architect and his team began with the project in the early 90s and as the government demanded that the works be completed in six years, two consortiums of companies dealt with each tower separately, a Japanese company and a South Korean company. . Thus, the curtain was finally raised before the turn of the century. One part rises to the heavens and another part sinks to the earth, where the foundations of the towers sink several meters, turning them into one of the deepest foundations in the world.
The structure holds firmly to the ground thanks to the 104 concrete pillars that are nailed to a depth of between 60 and 114 meters, with thousands and thousands of cubic meters of concrete. Up the towers 88 floors rise made with reinforced concrete, steel and glass (a total of 33 thousand stainless steel panels and 55 thousand glass panels), which follow an Islamic design pattern in accordance with the culture of the nation and which translate into a kind of motto: unity within harmony, stability and rationality.
The Petronas Towers officially opened in 1999 and they stand on the site where originally there was a horse racing track. Is about smart structures with computerized systems that control electricity, lighting and security, for example. It is at the pinnacles where the lights for aviation and all the maintenance equipment of the towers are located. Each pinnacle has a 23-segment spiral and a ring containing 14 more rings of varying diameters.
The interior of the towers and their decorations also tell us about Muslim culture and Malaysian cultures in general with designs, drawings and decorative fabrics. The towers have 29 double high speed elevators, six service elevators and four executive elevators. The latter, only for the rich and influential, take you directly from the underground parking lot to the top of the towers in 90 seconds.
The bridge that joins both towers, the Sky bridgeWe cannot forget about it, it is iconic and it is a double bridge that connects them between floors 41 and 42. It is 58 meters long and hangs 170 meters high. It is also open for tourist visits. Although before it was not paid for that since 2010, entry is paid. In addition, this the observatory located on the 86th floor from Tower Two and it can be reached here by elevator from the skybridge. The view is great.
How to get to the Petronas Towers
- By Train: You can take the train from any station within the Klang Valley area and get off at KLCC station.
- by taxi: they have a parking meter and they leave you at the door of the KLCC Suria, the shopping center that is on the podium of the two towers and is one of the largest in the country with 140 thousand square meters.
Practical information:
- Days: visiting days are from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed every Monday and on Hari Raya Aidifitri and Aidiladha festivals.
- Hours: open from 9 am to 9 pm although it closes from 1 to 2:30 pm on Fridays. The last entry is allowed at 8:30 pm.
- Tickets. are bought at the level Concourse and they start selling at 8:30 am. They are limited and can be purchased in advance through the towers website. The price per adult is RM 80.00 and those over 62 years pay RM 42.00.
- In addition to the shopping center, the towers have an underwater aquarium, a science center, an art gallery and a theater for a philharmonic orchestra. There is also the seven acre KLCC Park with trails for walking or running, a fountain with a light show, ponds and a playground.
Finally, Why are they called Petronas Towers? You know? Petrona sounds like a grandmother's name to me ... but nothing to do with it. There is no translation as it is simply the short form of the name of the national petroleum company of Malaysia, National Petroliam. In fact, Tower One is completely occupied by the company that has its headquarters here.