Image: Fender Katsalidis

Merdeka 118, a 118-story building in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been completed. With a height of 2,227 feet, it will be the world’s second-tallest structure by 2022. It surpasses the 2,073-foot Shanghai Tower and is only surpassed by Dubai‘s Burj Khalifa. The structure, built by Fender Katsalidis of Australia, looks out over the Stadium Merdeka, where Malaysia gained independence in 1957. The exterior is designed to resemble an uncut gem, and the designs are based on triangular patterns common in Malaysian art, such as batik.

Image: Fender Katsalidis

The structure has a total floor area of 3.1 million square feet, with more than half of it allocated to office space. A mall, a mosque, a hotel, and Southeast Asia’s tallest observation deck will all be included in the tower. The structure is connected to Kuala Lumpur’s rail system and sits atop a four-acre water park with open public spaces on the ground floor.

“We are ecstatic to have contributed to the construction of this structure and its plethora of community assets, which enrich one of Malaysia’s most culturally significant places.” “Our first aim was to respect this site and take advantage of every possibility to build a skyscraper that complemented the city’s social dynamic and cultural fiber,” said Karl Fender, a founding partner of Fender Katsalidis.

Despite worries voiced by local preservation advocates about the impact the building would have on the neighborhood, the project was first proposed 11 years ago and construction began in 2016. When the Malaysian government enacted harsh lockdown rules to combat Covid-19 in 2020, construction was suspended. Kuala Lumpur is the world’s 13th tallest city, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, and the 13th city in the world with the most skyscrapers. Between 1998 and 2004, the renowned Petronas Towers were the world’s highest skyscrapers, until Taipei 101 dethroned them. Merdeka 118 is expected to launch in late 2022.

Image: Fender Katsalidis