Rising to a colossal height of 678.9 m (2,227 ft) above the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Merdeka 118 has now officially reached its maximum height – and is on course to be completed by end-2022.
The world’s second tallest skyscraper is designed by Australia’s Fender Katsalidis, and its exterior is inspired by patterns from Malaysian arts and crafts.
The tower’s interior measures roughly 288,000 sq.metres of floorspace, spread over 118 floors, and split between office space, hotel space, retail space, an observation point, and luxury apartments.
Karl Fender, founding partner of Fender Katsalidis, said: “We feel incredibly proud to have contributed to the creation of this building and its host of community assets which enrich one of the most culturally significant sites in Malaysia.”
“First and foremost, our priority was to respect this site and harness every opportunity to create a tower that enriched the social energy and cultural fabric of the city.
“In addition, the achievement of creating the second-tallest building in the world celebrates the years of planning, problem-solving, collaboration and human endeavour required to realise a building of this complexity. Achieving this height milestone is a welcome bonus.”
Main image credit: Fender Katsalidis
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