petronas tower:

PETRONAS Twin Towers or alternatively known as Petronas Towers was the world’s tallest building from 1998 to 2004, until it was surpassed by Taipei 101. The tower itself is located at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with 88 habitable floors and 452 meters in height when measured from the main entrance to its pinnacle.
Nevertheless, the PETRONAS Twin Towers are the tallest twin towers in the world and is recognized as being the world’s tallest high rise of the 20th century.
The prominent features of the towers are the double-decked sky bridge, pinnacles and an advanced elevator system. Themain use of the building is for office space, although below the twin towers is Suria KLCC, a popular shopping mall and Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, the home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

The architectural design of the Petronas Twin Towers floor plan is based on simple Islamic geometric squares creating a shape of eight-pointed stars, reflecting unity within unity, harmony, stability and rationality.
To create more space, eight semi-circles were superimposed in the inner angles of the interlocked squares.
These semicircles are themselves anchored by the main structural columns of the buildings. The twin towers are symmetrically aligned and are connected with a suspended sky bridge.
The design details became prominent as the building rise in height towards the pinnacles. To maintain the vertical axis of the design, the towers are set back five times.

In the beginning, a race track was removed by the government as a move to ease the traffic congestion in that area. This opens up a 40ha piece of land worth hundreds of millions of ringgit, in the heart of KL free for redevelopment. With Petronas securing the financing of the development, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohammad, Prime Minister at that time wanted a building that would be identifiably Malaysian, that was of world class standards and which Malaysians could be proud of. Thus, an international design competition was held, with eight international firms invited. Finally, Cesar Pelli’s design, two slim 88-storey tower with a skybridge won the competition.
At first, there were no plans for the Petronas Towers to become the highest building in the world until Dr Mahathir suddenly thought of it; even during the building is already under construction. Mathematical recalculations were done and finally the plan to raise the height ofthe pinnacles is passed.

Construction started in 1993, with the piling of the world’s deepest foundations. The construction was done by two different contractors, sparking competition against each other. On the other hand, the towers were constructed with super high strength reinforced concrete due to the high cost of stete

At the top of the Petronas Twin Towers are structural steel pinnacles, which stood 73.5m tall. As two different contractors worked on the pinnacles, therefore one was made in Japan and the other South Korea.
Each pinnacle is composed of a spire, mast ball and ring ball. The ring ball consisted of 14 concentric tubes of differing diameters. In overall, the pinnacle is made up of 50 unique elements, lifted all piece by piece into place, making up a single 176 tonne in weight.
Functionally speaking, the pinnacle assembly are used to store aircraft warning lights and window washing equipment for the towers.

It was aIso the twin towers’ pinnacles that crowned the towers as the world’s tallest building in 1998 defined by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. This sparked controversy as the Sears Tower of USA is taller thanPetronas Twin Towers in the number of floors. However, under the rules used for rating the world’s tallest buildings, architectural spires count towards building height, while antennas atop a building do not.

The most prominent feature of the towers is the double-decked skybridge on the 41st and 42nd floors. The bridge is170m high and 58m long, providing access between the towers.

Center of skybridge as the observation deck with a circular window on top.

Interior of the skybridge on 42nd floor. The skybridge is open to all visitors.
Most high-rise buildings in the world use steel elements in their construction, but concrete was used instead of conventional steel in the construction of columns and core walls of the towers. Concrete was opted since it was a localmaterial that could be produced easily and Malaysia is quite sophisticated in concrete production which had ready labour in the industry. Besides, reinforced concrete also has twice the ability of steel to withstand vibrations.
To withstand 300,000 metric tonnes, a large concrete slab is used together with friction piles reinforced by grout (a mixture of sand and cement).

The polished facade is done with stainless steel extrusions and laminated glass covering or cladding the walls, reflecting Pelli’s vision of “multi-faceted diamond sparkling in the sun.” This minimizes heat gain by reflecting harmful UV light and unwanted solar radiation.

Each of the towers is supported by sixteen cylindrical columns that is made of concrete, encircling the core in the centre. They are placed on the inner corners of the star shaped plan with columns linked by slightly arched ring beams, also of concrete. The core and cylindrical frame system is constructed from in-situ high-strength concrete, including smaller perimeter columns around the two bustles. Some structural steel was used for typically long span floor beams to support concrete-filled metal deck slabs.

Horizontal steel bars or ‘teardrop’ and ‘bullnose’ steel sections are built into the polished facade which frames and linesthe open glass area. These sun screen brackets provide shade for the building and provide the appearance of flowing silver ribbon.
“For the Petronas Twin Towers, I tried to express the essences of the country. The building is rooted in tradition, but it is mostly about Malaysia’s aspiration and ambition,” said architect Cesar Pelli.

Petronas Towers

At a staggering 452 meters in height the Petronas Towers dominate the skyline in Kuala Lumpur. The Petronas Towers are the worlds “tallest freestanding” towers in the world housing an assortment of office buildings, a contemporary concert hall and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in the Petronas Malaysia Philharmonic Hall. The geometric impressions on both towers are often found in Islamic architecture. Two overlaid and rotated squares each encompass small, rounded in fillings adorned on the Petronas Towers. Many architects describe this special pattern as symbolizing stability, unity, harmony and rationale which are all important Islamic principles. Special highlights of the Petronas Towers include high-speed double deck elevators and an exciting double deck Sky Bridge.
The Petronas Towers are joined only at the 41st and the 42nd floor where the Sky Bridge is. Walking along the Sky Bridge is one of the main events when on a Malaysia tour of this captivating development. The bridge spans an astonishing 192 feet. There is a tour of the Sky Bridge available at Petronas Malaysia where you can enjoy a panoramic city view below. The tour is a short 10 minutes and leads up to the bridge. The best time to go is early in the morning to beat the long lines that can develop. Tickets are handed out on a first-come-first-served basis and you can choose the tour time when you get tickets. The Sky Bridge is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm from Tuesday through Sunday and is free.
Inside the Petronas Twin Tower Kuala Lumpur merchants line the first few floors. There are also arcades, and an assortment of restaurants. There is an interesting Science Museum you can visit that’s great when on a family-oriented Malaysia holiday. Kuala Lumpur attractions nearby are easily visited after a climb to the top of the Petronas Twin Tower during a Malaysia vacation. When visiting the Petronas Twin Tower Kuala Lumpurs city center will surround you with many more beautiful buildings. Often called a “city within a city” the area is large and stretches in every direction.
Situated between the Petronas Towers is one of the best shopping destinations in Kuala Lumpur, Suria KLCC, containing a huge array of merchandise to peruse. With six levels to explore a trip here can easily eat up an entire day if you like to shop! The Mandarin Oriental is due south of Suria KLCC and is considered to be the most affluent of Kuala Lumpur hotels. Though many can’t afford the high costs to stay, if you really wish to see the elegant interior try one of their restaurants for a five star dining experience.
In the immediate vicinity, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center can also be found. In addition to hosting many international events and trade shows The Aquaria Oceanarium is also inside. This is said to be the biggest aquarium in the world. It features more than 5,000 marine and aquatic animals with exhibits highlighting 150 native and international species. The Batu Cave is a major attraction in the city and not to be missed when in the area.
The KLCC Park is a wonder in itself, a massive green space in the middle of a huge and bustling city, much like Lumphini Park in Thailand. Don’t miss it after visiting Petronas Malaysia. The park is an attraction for the many things to do among the beautifully landscaped areas. With breathtaking views of Petronas Twin Tower, Kuala Lumpur shines in all her glory. Relaxing rest areas, a child’s pool, jogging track, Symphony Lake Fountains and more can all be found on the grounds. Many locals frequent the area during lunch time and visitors from all over the world walk the grounds admiring the beautiful pairing of nature with man’s creation.
Sprawling over 50-acres, the tropical gardens and lush foliage offer a haven of serenity and a respite from the dynamic and ever-busy inner city.