PERMODALAN Nasional Bhd’s (PNB) wholly-owned subsidiary, PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd marked a major milestone in the construction of its highly-anticipated Merdeka 118 development.
The topping out signifies the completion of the final roof slab, safely reaching its peak at Level 118, thus becoming the tallest building in Malaysia.
Upon completion in 2022, the tower will reach its full height of at least 644 metres and is set to be Southeast Asia’s tallest building.
The tower covers over 3 mil sq ft of floor area, comprising 1.66 million sq ft of net lettable area (NLA) Grade-A office space and about 1 million sq ft of retail space.
A number of outstanding features have been incorporated into the tower including ‘The View at 118’ Observation Deck which will be the highest in Southeast Asia as well as the first and only Park Hyatt Hotel in Malaysia which occupies the top 17 floors of the tower.
Seamlessly connected to the tower are exciting retail opportunities at ‘118 Mall’ surrounded by four acres of greenery and open spaces for the community to enjoy in ‘Merdeka Boulevard at 118’ park as well as three premium residential towers encircling the office tower.
“The tower is currently 81% completed with the installation of the glass façade in progress at Level 108,” commented PNB’s president and group chief executive Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn.
“Despite experiencing a delay due to restrictions from the movement control order (MCO) implemented last year, we are pleased that we are able to top out within our revised timeline.”
The Merdeka 118 precinct will also feature a textile museum with a focus on Malay-world textile, a purpose-built childcare centre for children under the age of seven years old and Masjid Merdeka, a new mosque with a capacity of up to 3,000 people.
Merdeka 118 development sits within the historical enclave of downtown Kuala Lumpur and the tower overlooks two national historical landmarks – Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara – reflecting the extraordinary union between the historic and contemporary architecture in the precinct.
As the sole custodian of the two stadiums, PNB has taken meticulous care in maintaining and preserving the nation’s historic heritage to create a harmonious representation of Malaysia’s rich history, its evolution and its future. – June 8, 2021
