20
Global
Height rank

Petronas Twin Tower 1

Kuala Lumpur
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    Metrics
Height 451.9 m / 1,483 ft
Floors 88
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Petronas Twin Tower 1

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

Tower 1, Petronas Twin Tower Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Petronas Tower 1

Name of Complex
A complex is a group of buildings which are designed and built as pieces of a greater development.

Petronas Towers

Type
CVU collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CVU 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed

Completion

1998

Country
CVU follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Malaysia

City
CVU follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Kuala Lumpur

Address

Jalan Ampang

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CVU "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

Office

Structural Material
All-Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered an “all-steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

All-Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars and/or steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

All-Timber
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from timber. An all-timber structure may include the use of localized non-timber connections between timber elements. Note that a building of timber construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of timber beams is still considered an “all-timber” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. all-steel, all-concrete, all-timber), one on top of the other. For example, a Steel Over Concrete indicates an all-steel structural system located on top of an all-concrete structural system, with the opposite true of Concrete Over Steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CVU database breaks out the materials used within a composite building’s primary structural elements.

Concrete-Steel Composite

Official Website

Petronas Twin Towers

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

451.9 m / 1,483 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
451.9 m / 1,483 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
375 m / 1,230 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CVU floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

88

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

5

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

39

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

6 m/s

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

197,500 m² / 2,125,872 ft²

Rankings

  • By Location
#
20
Tallest in the World
#
15
Tallest in Asia
#
3
Tallest in Malaysia
#
3
Tallest in Kuala Lumpur

Construction Schedule

1992

Construction Start

1998

Completed

Owner/Developer
KLCC Property Holdings Berhad
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Cesar Pelli & Associates
Architect of Record

Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.
Adamson Associates
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Thornton Tomasetti
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
WSP Flack + Kurtz
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Damping
Motioneering
Façade Maintenance
Manntech
Fire
Rolf Jensen & Associates
Wind
RWDI
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Construction Hoists
Alimak Hek
Elevator
Otis Elevator Company
Façade Maintenance Equipment
Manntech
Sealants
Dow Corning Corporation
Steel
Arbed
Owner/Developer
KLCC Property Holdings Berhad
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Cesar Pelli & Associates
Architect of Record

Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.
Adamson Associates
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Thornton Tomasetti
Engineer of Record

The Engineer of Record takes the balance of the engineering effort not executed by the “Design Engineer,” typically responsible for construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc.
Ranhill Bersekutu Bhd
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
WSP Flack + Kurtz
Engineer of Record

The Engineer of Record takes the balance of the engineering effort not executed by the “Design Engineer,” typically responsible for construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc.
KTA Tenaga Sdn Bhd
Project Manager

The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.
Lendlease
Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
Hazama Corporation; Ho Hup Construction Sdn. Bhd.; J.A. Jones Construction Co.; Mitsubishi Corporation; MMC Engineering & Construction Co.
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Damping
Motioneering
Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
Vidaris, Inc.
Façade Maintenance
Manntech
Fire
Rolf Jensen & Associates
Wind
RWDI
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Construction Hoists
Alimak Hek
Elevator
Otis Elevator Company
Façade Maintenance Equipment
Manntech
Paint/Coating
Jotun
Sealants
Dow Corning Corporation
Steel
Arbed

About Petronas Twin Tower 1

The Petronas Towers, located in Kuala Lumpur, were designed to herald the emergence of Malaysia into the global economy and act as an easily identifiable symbol for the fast-growing country.

The development’s scope, scale, and design reflect the desire to create a representative manifestation of local traditions and ingenuity. In particular, the design is based on Islamic geometry, a reflection of Malaysia’s cultural heritage. The buildings are perhaps most noteworthy for the skybridge that connects them on the 41st and 42nd floors. Although there is no structural benefit to the connection, it offers more than just an architectural flourish. By linking the two buildings together, the facilities of each tower around that level can be shared, including a conference room, prayer room, and executive dining room. Additionally, the skybridge is an integral part of the towers’ fire evacuation strategy.

Due to budgetary constraints, the development timeline of Petronas Towers was constrained to six years, an ambitious feat considering that the original expected construction time for the project was eight years. To speed things along, two construction consortiums were hired, each being responsible for building one of the towers. Naturally, incentives were established that rewarded the first team to the top with the rights to build the skybridge, resulting in a race between the Japanese and South Korean consortiums. Ultimately, Tower 2 was the first to reach its pinnacle, with the South Korean crew claiming victory.

Quick Facts

  • Tallest twin-tower buildings in the world.
  • Shared world's tallest building title with Petronas Tower 2; 1998 - 2004. Preceded by the Sears Tower and surpassed by Taipei 101.

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