Merdeka 118

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Megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

title: "Merdeka 118" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["buildings-and-structures-completed-in-2024", "postmodern-architecture-in-malaysia", "residential-skyscrapers-in-malaysia", "skyscraper-hotels-in-kuala-lumpur", "skyscraper-office-buildings-in-kuala-lumpur", "skyscrapers-in-kuala-lumpur", "hyatt-hotels-and-resorts"] description: "Megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merdeka_118" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox building"]

FieldValue
nameMerdeka 118
former_namesMenara Warisan Merdeka (), KL 118, PNB 118
mapframe-zoom8
mapframe-markerobservation-tower
native_name
alternate_namesMerdeka Tower
status
imageMerdeka Tower 20241022 - full 2 (Cropped).jpg
image_size250
captionMerdeka 118 in October 2024
coordinates
logoMerdeka 118 logo.png
logo_size230
highest_prevLandmark 81
highest_start2021
highest_regionSoutheast Asia
locationJalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
addressMenara Merdeka 118, Presint Merdeka 118, 50118 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
location_countryMalaysia
namesakeMalaysian Independence
developerPNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd
website
ownerPNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd (under PNB)
costRM5 billion
architectFender Katsalidis in association with RSP KL
references
building_typeMixed-use: Shopping complex, housing properties, hotel, observation, public park, office
architectural_styleNeo-futurism and Malay traditional songket pattern
structural_systemSteel
Reinforced concrete
Concrete encased steel
architectural678.9 m
groundbreaking_date
topped_out_date
completion_dateNovember 2023
opened_date
structural_engineerLERA Consulting Structural Engineers, Robert Bird Group in association with Arup
main_contractorsSamsung C&T
UEM Group
floor_area292,000 sqm
roof518.2 m
tip680.5 m
top_floor502.8 m
observatory566 m (Level spire)

| | {{cvt|519|m|abbr | on}} (View at 118){{Cite web |last=Fred |first= Mills|date=21 August 2024 |title=Building the World's Second Tallest Skyscraper | | url | https://youtube.com/xyKTboWXRdY?si=2LWly4RIhhZWrFh8&t=776 |access-date=28 August 2024 |website=youtube.com}} | | floor_count | 118 (with 6 basement) | | parking | 20,000 parking bays | | public_transit | Merdeka MRT station Maharajalela Monorail station Plaza Rakyat LRT station via Merdeka | | antenna_spire | 160.7 m | | elevator_count | 92 | | known_for | First skyscraper to exceed 500 m and 600 m in Malaysia and Southeast Asia | ::

| name = Merdeka 118 | former_names = Menara Warisan Merdeka (), KL 118, PNB 118 | mapframe-zoom = 8 | mapframe-marker = observation-tower | native_name = | alternate_names = Merdeka Tower | status = | image = Merdeka Tower 20241022 - full 2 (Cropped).jpg | image_alt = | image_size = 250 | caption = Merdeka 118 in October 2024 | coordinates = | logo = Merdeka 118 logo.png | logo_size = 230 | logo_caption = | highest_prev = Landmark 81 | highest next = | highest_start = 2021 | highest_region = Southeast Asia | location = Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | address = Menara Merdeka 118, Presint Merdeka 118, 50118 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | location_country = Malaysia | namesake = Malaysian Independence | developer = PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd | website = | owner = PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd (under PNB) | cost = RM5 billion | architect = Fender Katsalidis in association with RSP KL | references = | building_type = Mixed-use: Shopping complex, housing properties, hotel, observation, public park, office | architectural_style = Neo-futurism and Malay traditional songket pattern | structural_system = Steel Reinforced concrete Concrete encased steel | architectural = 678.9 m | groundbreaking_date = | topped_out_date = | completion_date = November 2023 | opened_date = | structural_engineer = LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, Robert Bird Group in association with Arup | main_contractors = Samsung C&T UEM Group | floor_area = 292,000 sqm | roof = 518.2 m | tip = 680.5 m | top_floor = 502.8 m | observatory = 566 m (Level spire)

519 m (View at 118){{Cite web |last=Fred |first= Mills|date=21 August 2024 |title=Building the World's Second Tallest Skyscraper |url=https://youtube.com/xyKTboWXRdY?si=2LWly4RIhhZWrFh8&t=776 |access-date=28 August 2024 |website=youtube.com}} | floor_count = 118 (with 6 basement) | parking = 20,000 parking bays | public_transit = Merdeka MRT station Maharajalela Monorail station Plaza Rakyat LRT station via Merdeka | antenna_spire = 160.7 m | elevator_count = 92 | known_for = First skyscraper to exceed 500 m and 600 m in Malaysia and Southeast Asia

Merdeka 118, formerly known as Menara Warisan Merdeka, KL 118, and PNB 118, is a 118-story megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At 678.9 m tall, it is the second-tallest building and structure in the world, only behind the Burj Khalifa (Dubai, UAE), at 829.8 m. Construction was controversially entirely funded by Permodalan Nasional Berhad, an investment management company owned by the Malaysian government. 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. The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Hotel, located on level 75, began operation on 7 August 2025.

The building's name, Merdeka, which means "independence" in Malay, is inspired by its proximity to Stadium Merdeka. The spire of the building was completed in December 2022, which marked its final height of 678.9 m above ground and 700.9 m above sea level.

It is the tallest building in Malaysia—surpassing the 451.9 m Petronas Twin Towers—and in Southeast Asia, surpassing the 462 m Landmark 81. The building will also be the first in Malaysia to receive a triple platinum rating from worldwide sustainability certifications such as Green Building Index (GBI), including LEED.

Building

When it was completed in 2023, the tower became the tallest building in Malaysia. It was constructed in three phases and consists of 400000 m2 of residential, hotel and commercial space.

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. 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 for Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the developer of the project, and its subsidiaries.

Funding

The Merdeka 118 precinct is a 19 acre land development funded by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), a state-owned enterprise of the Malaysian government.

The budget of RM5 billion 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. In 2016, Prime Minister Najib Razak, who would eventually be directly involved with the 1MDB scandal, claimed that the project was not a waste and it would "bring more benefits" by generating "economic opportunities".

Site

The building is situated on Jalan 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 as Petaling Street, sporting venues including Merdeka Stadium, Stadium Negara and the Chin Woo Stadium, three schools (the Victoria Institution, the Methodist Boys' School and the Chinese-type Jalan Davidson Primary School), and the stalled Plaza Rakyat project (across the Ampang Line).

The Merdeka 118 development also has access to the newly built Merdeka MRT station on the Kajang Line (SBK) and is directly linked from three major roads via the Belfield Tunnel, which is a 2-storey underground tunnel passing underneath Kampung Attap and Jalan Maharajalela to the basement of the precinct.

Design

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Merdeka_1957_tunku_abdul_rahman.jpg" caption="Merdeka 118 was designed to resemble [[Tunku Abdul Rahman]]'s stature as he proclaimed Malaysian independence on 31 August 1957, chanting "''[[Merdeka]]!''" seven times."] ::

The building is designed with a mixture of diamond-shaped glass facades to signify the diversity of Malaysians. when he proclaimed the independence 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 the 118 Mall, Grade-A offices, hotels, and residential areas. The structural engineers were Leslie E. Robertson Associates and Robert Bird Group while the civil and structural engineer of record for this tower is Arup. The building has been equipped and illuminated at night with 8.4 kilometres of LED light strips which would gradually move from one corner to another. 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.

Floor plans

::data[format=table]

LevelPurpose120119118117116M116115114113100 - 11299989791 - 9678 - 9077767542 - 7441M41408 - 397654321B1B2B3B4B5B6
Mechanical layer 6 / Spire
Mechanical layer 6
The View @118
The View @118
The View @118
The View @118
The View @118
Limonaia / Sky Rooms
Mechanical layer 4
Park Hyatt Hotel Guestrooms
Park Hyatt Hotel Facilities Level (Indoor Pool, Spa & Gym)
Park Hyatt Hotel Executive Salons
Park Hyatt Hotel Utility Floor
High Zone Offices
High Zone Offices
Mechanical layer 3
High Zone Office Sky Lobbies
Park Hyatt Hotel Main Lobby / Merdeka Grill / Restaurants / Cafe / Cacao Mixology & Chocolate
Mid Zone Office
Mechanical layer 2
Merdeka Office Sky Lobbies
Merdeka Office Sky Lobbies
Low Zone Offices
Mechanical layer 1
Mechanical layer 1
Merdeka 118 Upper Lobbies / 118 Mall
South Foyer (Minangkabau Lobby) Entrance / Merdeka 118 Office Lower Lobbies / 118 Mall / Masjid Al-Sultan Abdullah / South Foyer
118 Mall / Merdeka 118 Middle Podium / Park Hyatt Hotel Shuttle Elevators Entrance
Little M / 118 Mall / Service & Utility Office / Merdeka 118 Parking
North Foyer Entrance / Park Hyatt Hotel Entrance / 118 Mall / Observatory Deck Entrance / North Foyer
Merdeka 118 Parking
Merdeka 118 Parking
Merdeka 118 Parking
Merdeka 118 Parking
Merdeka 118 Parking
Mechanical layer
::

(All of the floor plans and its level arrangements were obtained from the building's proposals and may be subject to change.)

Height

The height of the spire, crown, roof, top floor, observation and residential towers of Merdeka 118.

::data[format=table]

Height informationHeightArchitecturalTipSpireRoofTop floorObservationMerdeka Residential Tower 1Merdeka Residential Tower 2
678.9 m
680.5 m
160.7 m
518.2 m
502.8 m
566 m and 500 m
242.3 m
220.4 m
::

Progress

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/PNB118_Jalan_Hang_Jebat_entrance.png" caption="Construction of the tower's base as viewed from Jalan Hang Jebat in September 2021"] ::

The piling and foundation work for the project was awarded to Pintaras Geotechnics Sdn Bhd. The Permodalan Nasional Berhad shortlisted six groups for various construction jobs: Samsung C&T and UEM 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. KONE, a Finnish group, is supplying around 87 elevators and escalators for the project.

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. Furthermore, on 9 November 2017, PNB planned to raise up to RM5 billion fund for its project via a green sukuk, 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 the Securities Commission Malaysia that validates PNB commitment to develop the project as a sustainable and environmentally-friendly project.

On 27 February 2018, it was announced that Park Hyatt will open up a hotel in Merdeka 118. The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will occupy the top 17 floors of the building; It is slated to have 232 units, including 28 suites and 30 apartments. The construction was halted on 18 March 2020 due to the Movement Control Order in Malaysia caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, but works resumed in mid-May 2020. In early August 2020, the building's concrete core topped out at 118 floors surpassing the Vincom Landmark 81 as the tallest building in Southeast 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 the retail podium. Turner International plays the role of Project Management Consultant for this complex development. The tower was topped out in November 2021. On 10 January 2024, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah officially inaugurated Merdeka 118, stated that the new landmark "symbolises the people celebrating the diversity of the country as an independent nation".

On 2 March 2025, the 1 km-long Belfield Tunnel linking to the underground carpark area of Merdeka 118 was officially opened. The two-storey tunnel can be accessed via Jalan Syed Putra and Jalan Damansara, while vehicles leaving Merdeka 118 through the tunnel exit onto Jalan Syed Putra and Jalan 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.

Trespassing incidents

In 2022, a viral video began circulating online when a group of American individuals trespassed towards the top of Merdeka 118, prompting criticism of the lack of security measures at the site. 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 the Malaysian Penal Code.

That same year, another trespassing incident occurred when Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus scaled the spire of Merdeka 118, prompting further criticism. Malaysian police requested for the entry and exit records of the couple from the Malaysian Immigration Department, which responded that there were no records of the duo entering or exiting Malaysia, suggesting that they had entered the country illegally. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has confirmed that a full investigation is ongoing.

Notable events

References

References

  1. "Merdeka 118 – The Skyscraper Center".
  2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110622065039/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F10%2F16%2Fbudget%2F7241701 RM5bil Warisan Merdeka will be country's new landmark]. TheStar.com.my
  3. "Warisan Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur – Building 1221285 – EMPORIS". [[Emporis]].
  4. (11 November 2020). ["Design and Construction of Merdeka 118 Tower]"](https://www.ice.org.uk/events/past-events-and-recordings/recorded-lectures/design-and-construction-of-merdeka-118-tower). Institute of Civil Engineers.
  5. Azman, Nur Hanani. (30 November 2021). "Merdeka 118 tower on track for completion late 2022". The Malaysian Reserve.
  6. (3 July 2014). "Piling work starts on KL118". KiniBiz (defunct).
  7. (10 January 2024). "Menara Merdeka 118, a tower of success in navigating independence, says King".
  8. "KL118 Tower – The Skyscraper Center". skyscrapercenter.com.
  9. (22 April 2021). "Part 1 : KLAF 2020/21 {{!}} Merdeka 118: designing the 2nd tallest building in the world". Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia.
  10. Lim, Ida. (5 August 2022). "Merdeka 118: Touch the sky from mid-2023 at world's second tallest tower right here in KL". [[Malay Mail]].
  11. (22 January 2022). "Ahmad Abdelrazaq- Constructing Merdeka 118:World's Second-Tallest Building". [[Skyscraper Museum.
  12. "Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Opens In Malaysia".
  13. Rani, Nur Amirah Abd. (3 September 2021). "Merdeka 118 mercu tanda integrasi masa depan". [[Berita Harian]].
  14. "Malaysia Completes Merdeka Tower Cone". Bloomberg.com.
  15. RAHIM, RAHIMY. (2021-11-30). "PM: Completion of Merdeka 118 tower spire, the world's second-tallest building, a 'proud moment'".
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  24. "RM5bil Warisan Merdeka will be country's new landmark". The Star Online.
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  26. Sarah. (17 March 2016). "StarProperty - News : Warisan Merdeka will add to capital’s attractiveness, says PM".
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  28. CHOONG, MENG YEW. (2015-03-04). "Underground jewels for the Klang Valley MRT".
  29. Lee, Racheal. (20 December 2019). "This unconventional 'kampung' is Kuala Lumpur's next property hot spot".
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  32. "A spectacular blend of the historic and contemporary in the heart of Kuala Lumpur with approximately one million sq ft of retail opportunities.".
  33. Muda, Faezah. (2 September 2020). "Menara Merdeka 118, Bangunan kedua tertinggi Dunia selepas Burj Khalifa? In faktanya...".
  34. "Merdeka PNB 118 – NEAPOLI".
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  49. Mahalingam, Santhakumar a/l. (2024-01-10). "Menara Merdeka 118, a tower of success in navigating independence, says King".
  50. Kaur, Sharen. (2025-03-02). "Belfield Tunnel opens, providing easy entry and exit to Menara Merdeka 118 [BTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times".
  51. (11 January 2023). "M'sian authorities confirm that 4 US men who scaled spire of Merdeka 118 were arrested & charged back in May 2022".
  52. IBRAHIM, JUNAID. (2023-01-10). "Viral video of Merdeka 118 trespassers taken last year, culprits already caught and charged".
  53. BERNAMA. (2023-10-01). "Merdeka 118 Tower: Group of male trespasssers video taken may last year - PNBMV".
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  58. (2023-01-08). "‘No record of Russian duo entering or exiting country’".
  59. Reporter, S. D.. (2023-01-05). "Merdeka 118: Saifuddin to get full report on alleged trespass".
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  63. (6 May 2025). "This striking skyscraper in Malaysia makes a dazzling appearance in Marvel's 'Thunderbolts' movie". Time Out.
  64. (30 April 2025). "Merdeka 118 celebrates Hollywood debut in 'Thunderbolts' with dazzling light show". The Star.

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buildings-and-structures-completed-in-2024postmodern-architecture-in-malaysiaresidential-skyscrapers-in-malaysiaskyscraper-hotels-in-kuala-lumpurskyscraper-office-buildings-in-kuala-lumpurskyscrapers-in-kuala-lumpurhyatt-hotels-and-resorts