| Merdeka 118 | |
|---|---|
Malay:Merdeka PNB 118 | |
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.jpg) Merdeka 118 in October 2024 | |
 Interactive map of Merdeka 118 | |
| Former names | Menara Warisan Merdeka (lit. 'Independence Heritage Tower'), KL 118, PNB 118 |
| Alternative names | Merdeka Tower |
| Record height | |
| Tallest inSoutheast Asia since 2021[I] | |
| Preceded by | Landmark 81 |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed[1] |
| Type | Mixed-use: Shopping complex, housing properties, hotel, observation, public park, office |
| Architectural style | Neo-futurism and Malay traditionalsongket pattern[4] |
| Location | Menara Merdeka 118, Presint Merdeka 118, 50118 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysia |
| Coordinates | 3°8′30.0″N101°42′2.6″E / 3.141667°N 101.700722°E /3.141667; 101.700722 |
| Named for | Malaysian Independence |
| Groundbreaking | July 2014; 11 years ago (2014-07)[6] |
| Topped-out | 30 November 2021; 3 years ago (2021-11-30) |
| Completed | November 2023 |
| Opened | 10 January 2024; 22 months ago (2024-01-10)[7] |
| Cost | RM5 billion[2] |
| Owner | PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd (underPNB) |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 678.9 m (2,227 ft)[5] |
| Tip | 680.5 m (2,233 ft)[1] |
| Antenna spire | 160.7 m (527 ft)[10] |
| Roof | 518.2 m (1,700 ft)[10] |
| Top floor | 502.8 m (1,650 ft)[1] |
| Observatory | 566 m (1,857 ft) (Level spire)[11] 519 m (1,703 ft) (View at 118)[12] |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel Reinforced concrete Concrete encased steel |
| Floor count | 118 (with 6 basement)[citation needed] |
| Floor area | 292,000 m2 (3,140,000 sq ft)[9] |
| Lifts/elevators | 92[citation needed] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Fender Katsalidis in association with RSP KL |
| Developer | PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd |
| Structural engineer | LERA Consulting Structural Engineers,Robert Bird Group in association withArup[8] |
| Main contractor | Samsung C&T UEM Group |
| Known for | First skyscraper to exceed 500 m (1,600 ft) and 600 m (2,000 ft) in Malaysia and Southeast Asia |
| Other information | |
| Parking | 20,000 parking bays[citation needed] |
| Public transit access | KG17 Merdeka MRT station MR3 Maharajalela Monorail station AG8 SP8 Plaza Rakyat LRT station via KG17 Merdeka |
| Website | |
| merdeka118 | |
| References | |
| [3] | |
Merdeka 118, formerly known asMenara Warisan Merdeka,[a]KL 118, andPNB 118, is a 118-storeymegatall skyscraper inKuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At 678.9 m (2,227 ft) tall,[1] it is thesecond-tallest building andstructure in the world, only behind theBurj Khalifa (Dubai, UAE), at 829.8 m (2,722 ft). Construction was controversially entirely funded byPermodalan Nasional Berhad, an investment management companyowned by the Malaysian government.[13] The structure was completed in November of 2023, celebrated its grand opening on 10 January 2024, but remains closed and under further construction as of 1 July 2025.[13] The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Hotel, located on level 75, began operation on 7 August 2025.[14]
The building's name,Merdeka, which means "independence" inMalay, is inspired by its proximity toStadium Merdeka.[15] The spire of the building was completed in December 2022, which marked its final height of 678.9 m (2,227 ft) above ground and 700.9 m (2,300 ft) above sea level.[16]
It is thetallest building in Malaysia—surpassing the 451.9 m (1,483 ft)Petronas Twin Towers—and inSoutheast Asia, exceeding the 462 m (1,516 ft)Landmark 81.[17] The building will also be the first in Malaysia to receive a triple platinum rating from worldwide sustainability certifications such asGreen Building Index (GBI), includingLEED.[17]
When it was completed in 2023,[18][19] the tower became the tallest building in Malaysia.[20] It was constructed in three phases and consists of 400,000 m2 (4,300,000 sq ft) of residential, hotel and commercial space.[21]
The building is a mix of office spaces, hotels, and retail outlets and an observatory floor which will be the highest observation deck in Southeast Asia. It has two observation decks, the first inside the building and the second inside the spire, and a retail business center (118 Mall). It will be surrounded by four acres of urban and linear parks.[22] The non-rentable space consists of elevators, recreational and maintenance facilities, as well as parking spaces for up to 8,500 cars. Sixty out of the 80 storeys of office space will be reserved forPermodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the developer of the project, and its subsidiaries.[23][24]
The Merdeka 118 precinct is a 7.7-hectare (19-acre) land development funded byPermodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB),[25] astate-owned enterprise of the Malaysian government.[13]
The budget of RM5 billion[26] has faced criticism from many Malaysians, saying that the money was in essence public money and could have been better used elsewhere, such as for basic infrastructure and a raise in the minimum wage.[13]Prime MinisterNajib Razak, who would eventually be directly involved with the1MDB scandal, claimed that the project was not a waste and it would "bring more benefits" by generating "economic opportunities".[27]
The building is situated onJalan Hang Jebat, on the location of the former Merdeka Park (subsequently repurposed into an open-air car park). The site lies within the vicinity of landmarks such asPetaling Street, sporting venues includingMerdeka Stadium,Stadium Negara and the Chin Woo Stadium, three schools (theVictoria Institution, theMethodist Boys' School and theChinese-type Jalan Davidson Primary School), and the stalledPlaza Rakyat project (across theAmpang Line).[26]
The Merdeka 118 development also has access to the newly builtMerdeka MRT station on theKajang Line (SBK)[28][29] and is directly linked from three major roads via the Belfield Tunnel, which is a 2-storey underground tunnel passing underneath Kampung Attap andJalan Maharajalela to the basement of the precinct.[30]
The building is designed with a mixture of diamond-shaped glass facades to signify the diversity of Malaysians.[4] The design was made to resemble and inspired byTunku Abdul Rahman's outstretched hand gesture while chanting "Merdeka!",[31] when he proclaimed theindependence of Malaya on 31 August 1957. The building's cladding was to comprise 18,144 panels, 114,000 square-meter of glass, and 1,600 tonnes of window frame extrusions. It was to contain the118 Mall, Grade-A offices, hotels, and residential areas. The structural engineers wereLeslie E. Robertson Associates andRobert Bird Group while the civil and structural engineer of record for this tower isArup.[32][33] The building has been equipped and illuminated at night with 8.4 km of LED light strips which would gradually move from one corner to another.[34] The Neapoli Group, an environmental design and engineering firm, was employed to provide consultancy services towards achieving platinum rating with three Green Building certification bodies:Green Building Index (GBI),Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and GreenRE.[35]
| Level | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| 120 | Mechanical layer 6 / Spire | |
| 119 | Mechanical layer 6 | |
| 118 | The View @118 (The Top of Merdeka 118 Observatory) | |
| 117 | The View @118 (Conference Centre / VIP Lounge) | |
| 116M | The View @118 (Mechanical layer 5 / Shops & Cafe / 118 Edge Walk) | |
| 116 | The View @118 (Indoor Observatory / Outdoor Observatory) | |
| 115 | The View @118 (118 Multi Purpose Event Hall & Space) | |
| 114 | Limonaia / Sky Rooms | |
| 113 | Mechanical layer 4 | |
| 100 - 112 | Park Hyatt Hotel Guestrooms | |
| 99 | Park Hyatt Hotel Facilities Level (Indoor Pool, Spa & Gym) | |
| 98 | Park Hyatt Hotel Executive Salons | |
| 97 | Park Hyatt Hotel Utility Floor | |
| 91 - 96 | High Zone Offices (PNB Headquarters) | |
| 78 - 90 | High Zone Offices | |
| 77 | Mechanical layer 3 | |
| 76 | High Zone Office Sky Lobbies | |
| 75 | Park Hyatt Hotel Main Lobby / Merdeka Grill / Restaurants / Cafe / Cacao Mixology & Chocolate | |
| 42 - 74 | Mid Zone Office | |
| 41M | Mechanical layer 2 | |
| 41 | Merdeka Office Sky Lobbies | |
| 40 | Merdeka Office Sky Lobbies | |
| 8 - 39 | Low Zone Offices (Maybank Headquarters) | |
| 7 | Mechanical layer 1 | |
| 6 | Mechanical layer 1 | |
| 5 (M) | Merdeka 118 Upper Lobbies / 118 Mall | |
| 4 (G) | South Foyer (Minangkabau Lobby) Entrance / Merdeka 118 Office Lower Lobbies / 118 Mall / Masjid Al-Sultan Abdullah / South Foyer | |
| 3 (LGM) | 118 Mall / Merdeka 118 Middle Podium / Park Hyatt Hotel Shuttle Elevators Entrance | |
| 2 (P2) | Little M / 118 Mall / Service & Utility Office / Merdeka 118 Parking | |
| 1 (LG/P1) | North Foyer Entrance / Park Hyatt Hotel Entrance / 118 Mall / Observatory Deck Entrance / North Foyer | |
| B1 | Merdeka 118 Parking | |
| B2 | Merdeka 118 Parking | |
| B3 | Merdeka 118 Parking | |
| B4 | Merdeka 118 Parking | |
| B5 | Merdeka 118 Parking | |
| B6 | Mechanical layer | |
(All of the floor plans and its level arrangements were obtained from the building's proposals and may be subject to change.)[36]
The height of the spire, crown, roof, top floor, observation and residential towers of Merdeka 118.
| Height information | Height |
|---|---|
| Architectural | 678.9 m (2,227 ft) |
| Tip | 680.5 m (2,233 ft) |
| Spire | 160.7 m (527 ft) |
| Roof | 518.2 m (1,700 ft) |
| Top floor | 502.8 m (1,650 ft) |
| Observation | 566 m (1,857 ft) and 500 m (1,600 ft) |
| Merdeka Residential Tower 1 | 242.3 m (795 ft) |
| Merdeka Residential Tower 2 | 220.4 m (723 ft) |
The piling and foundation work for the project was awarded to Pintaras Geotechnics Sdn Bhd.[37][38] The Permodalan Nasional Berhad shortlisted six groups for various construction jobs:Samsung C&T andUEM Group Bhd;IJM Corp Bhd, Norwest Holdings Sdn Bhd, and Shimizu Corp;Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd and State Construction Engineering Corp; WCT Bhd and Arabtec Construction LLC; TSR Capital Bhd and Daewoo Group; Seacera Group Bhd with Spaz Sdn Bhd,Sinohydro Corp, and Shanghai Construction Group. These companies submitted their bids by 28 January 2015.[39]KONE, a Finnish group, is supplying around 87 elevators and escalators for the project.[40]
On 23 November 2015, PNB announced a contract worth RM3.4 billion has been awarded to the joint venture of South Korea's Samsung C&T and UEM Group Berhad.[41][42] Furthermore, on 9 November 2017, PNB planned to raise up to RM5 billion fund for its project via a greensukuk, the Merdeka Asean Green SRI Sukuk, with a 15-year tenure. The sukuk covered the development of its 83-storey office space, which forms part of the tower. It is the first adopter of the Asean Green Bond Standards launched by theSecurities Commission Malaysia that validates PNB commitment to develop the project as a sustainable and environmentally-friendly project.[43]
On 27 February 2018, it was announced thatPark Hyatt will open up a hotel in Merdeka 118.[44] The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will occupy the top 17 floors of the building;[45][46] It is slated to have 232 units, including 28 suites and 30 apartments. The construction was halted on 18 March 2020 due to theMovement Control Order in Malaysia caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic in the country, but works resumed in mid-May 2020.[47] In early August 2020, the building's concrete core topped out at 118 floors surpassing the VincomLandmark 81 as the tallest building inSoutheast Asia.
In June 2021, the tower was at 81% completion, with the installation of the glass façade in progress at Level 108 and has successfully reached Level 118 with its spire already 50% assembled along with theretail podium.[48] Turner International plays the role of Project Management Consultant for this complex development.[49] The tower was topped out in November 2021.[16] On 10 January 2024,Yang di-Pertuan AgongAl-Sultan Abdullah officially inaugurated Merdeka 118, stated that the new landmark "symbolises the people celebrating the diversity of the country as an independent nation".[50]
On 2 March 2025, the 1 km-long Belfield Tunnel linking to the underground carpark area of Merdeka 118 was officially opened.[51] The two-storey tunnel can be accessed viaJalan Syed Putra andJalan Damansara, while vehicles leaving Merdeka 118 through the tunnel exit ontoJalan Syed Putra andJalan Istana. The tunnel will also serve visitors to Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and 118 Mall, set to open in the second quarter of 2025 and by June 2026, respectively.[51]
The skyscraper made itsHollywood debut inDisney'sMarvel Studios' blockbuster filmThunderbolts* (2025), which premiered on April 22, 2025. The scene featuredBlack Widow agentYelena Belova (played by actressFlorence Pugh) leaping off the summit of the building during her mission in the city center.[52] To celebrate this cinematic debut, Merdeka 118 was illuminated with aThunderbolts*-themed light show for several nights leading up to and following the film's release, until 1 May 2025.[53]
In 2022, a viral video began circulating online when a group of American individuals[54] trespassed towards the top of Merdeka 118, prompting criticism of the lack of security measures at the site.[55] In a statement, the developer stated that such stunts are illegal and that trespassing is illegal by law. The group was eventually charged under Section 457 of theMalaysian Penal Code.[56]
That same year, another trespassing incident occurred when Russian rooftoppersAngela Nikolau andIvan Beerkus scaled the spire of Merdeka 118, prompting further criticism.[57][58][59][60] Malaysian police requested for the entry and exit records of the couple from theMalaysian Immigration Department, which responded that there were no records of the duo entering or exiting Malaysia, suggesting that they had entered the country illegally.[61] Home MinisterSaifuddin Nasution Ismail has confirmed that a full investigation is ongoing.[62]
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The building will be served by theKajang Line'sMerdeka MRT station located alongJalan Hang Jebat, which is connected to an interchange with theLRT Ampang and Sri Petaling Lines'Plaza Rakyat LRT station.[citation needed]
It will also be accessible from theMaharajalela Monorail station on theKL Monorail Line, connected through the precinct's linear park under the development.[citation needed]
TheHang Tuah station, serving the LRT Ampang Line, LRT Sri Petaling Line andKL Monorail, is a 600-metre walk southeast.[citation needed]
In conjunction with Malaysia’s 68th Independence Day celebrations, Merdeka 118 hosted its first evertower-running event,The Sky Race, on 30 August 2025. Organised by Fresh Events Asia in collaboration with the Malaysia Towerrunning Association, the event coincided with the 3rd Towerrunning Asian & Oceanian Championships.
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