Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas Twin Tower is the most famous landmark and an iconic structure in Malaysia. The twin towers are situated on the Jalan Ampang Road in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Even though the original purpose of the towers is to accommodate the various offices that operate out of Kuala Lumpur, it is now much more than just an office centre.

Its mind-boggling height, modern architecture, and location have made it an important tourist attraction in the city. The construction of this magnificent tower started in 1993 and it was completed in 1996. The twin towers were finally inaugurated on 31st August 1999. Between 1998 and 2004 it was also the tallest tower in the world, with a height of 451.9 metres or 1,483 feet from the ground level.

The Petronas Twin Towers, which were designed by Argentina-born American architect- Cesar Pelli, is one of the tallest towers in the world. The towers were built in Postmodern-Islamic architectural style, using steel, glass and reinforced concrete and it cost 1.6 billion U.S. dollars. The Petronas Twin Towers have 88 floors, with 5 additional underground floors.

The two breath-taking Towers are joined on the 41st and 42nd floor by a spectacular double Decker Skybridge. The 192-feet-long bridge is the highest two-storey bridge in the world. The Skybridge also acts as a safety device and stabilizing structure against turbulent winds in bad weather conditions.

Apart from being an iconic structure on the Kuala Lumpur Skyline, it is also home to many world-class restaurants and breathtaking viewpoints from where you can see the entire city sprawled out under you. You can also check out the many tourist attractions, temples, mosques and the famous Malaysian markets located close to the Petronas Twin Towers.

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• At the 86th floor of Petronas Twin Towers you can immerse yourself into the discovery in the observation Deck.
• You will feel like standing above the clouds as you catch a closeup view of the pyramid structure of the towers.
• One of the best spots to view Kuala Lumpur city.
• View King’s Palace, KLCC Park and Titiwangsa range – all on 86th floor of twin tower kl.
• Get a picturesque view of Kuala Lumpur’s landscape via detailed eyes of a telescope. A wonderful tool for priceless experience.
• Get the gaze of Kl city’s latest development updates in a bird’s eye view from 86th floor of the towers.
• On the 86th floor you can also avail a hands-on learning experience with an interactive AR screen. Just hover your hand to know more about building structure.
• Take a walk through the journey of the twin tower’s history and development on the 83rd floor.
• With post card services you can mail your newly made memory to your loved ones via Petronas’s official postcard service.
• You can also enjoy a video encyclopedia about Malaysia in this iconic building.

The best time to visit is late evening, between 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. During this time, you can witness a fountain and light show. Every night from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, you can also experience a symphony and light show at Lake Symphony in KLCC. It is quite a sight to watch the lake’s water doing amazing and attractive things for visitors.

Also Checkout and Book: Kuala Lumpur Half Day City Tour

Height:

451.9 metres or 1,483 feet above sea level

Photography Charges:

No extra charges for photography

Distance from city centre:

2.4km

Design:

With a fantastic combination of glass finishing and stainless steel, the interior motifs of the towers are created to represent Malaysia’s weaving patterns and local handicrafts. To describe Islamic patterns beautifully, each tower floor is designed to show an Islamic geometric pattern of two interlocking squares making the shape of eight-pointed stars. It represents the importance of four Islamic principles, i.e., rationality, stability, harmony, and unity.

Structure:

Petronas Twin Towers are made smartly to coordinate building security, smoke & fire control, lighting, power supply, environment control, and telecommunication simultaneously and seamlessly. With 452 meters in height, each tower has 88 floors and 5 underground levels of car parking and mechanical service. The weight of each building is 300,000 tonnes, equal to 42,857 adult elephants.

Constructions:

The construction of the twin towers was completed in only 6 years and cost the country a fortune of USD 1.6 billion. Made with 8,99,000 ft of stainless-steel extrusion, the buildings are made to avoid UV rays and heat with the help of 5,90,000 ft of additional lamination glass on the top of the skyscraper surface.

World's Largest Foundation:

Like any other skyscraper, the world’s largest twin tower also needs a deep foundation that powerfully penetrates the ground to hold the building. Petronas Twin Towers have a solid foundation of 120 meters made with dense concrete. Foundation alone took 12 months to complete and was completed by Bachy Soletanche.

Elevators:

Petronas Towers is equipped with 29 double-decker high-speed passenger elevators and 6 heavy-duty service lifts, and 4 executive lifts. Every passenger elevator can carry a maximum of 52 people, and executive lifts can carry a weight of 10 people. The speed of the lift varies from 3.5m/s to 6.0 m/s, depending on the zones.  

Exterior:

To maintain the tapering and vertical axis of design, every tower is set back five times in its ascent. Uppermost walls are also made inward sloppy to taper and meet the apex. Vision glass, powered with specialized noise reduction and light filtering properties, offers a comfortable inner environment. The glass cover is covered with stainless steel visors to provide maximum protection from the tropical sun.

Interior:

The patterns and designs which line the entrance hall’s foyer represent traditional songket, weaving, and handicrafts of Malaysia. The screens and wall panels are also inspired by hardwood carvings from the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The floor design is based on intricate motifs of bertam palm wall mattings and pandan weavings.

Pinnacles:

Petronas Twin Towers includes external maintenance building equipment and warning lights. Every pinnacle features a ring ball composed of 14 rings of different diameters and a spire with 23 segments. 

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Places to Eat in and near Petronas Twin Tower

Touring the towers can make you hungry. Thankfully, there are many standard eateries around the tower where you can catch a bite to eat.

1. Mama San Suria KLCC -

Situated in Jalan Ampang Road, Mama San Suria KLCC is known for its impressive breakfast menu and some great cocktails.

2. Spring Garden -

The Spring Garden is a great place to dine with your family and friends after a hot day of touring. They have a casual-dining menu, together with homely décor, which makes for a serene dining experience.

3. Chili’s Grill & Bar -

The Chili’s Grill & Bar is situated at Persian Petronas Road and this restaurant is very popular for being kid-friendly. The world-famous eatery serves up American, Mexican and continental food suited to everyone’s palate.

4. Marini’s on 57 -

Marini’s on 57 is a popular rooftop bar with a cigar lounge and is known for its delicious Italian cuisine. The restaurant is situated on Petronas Persiaran Road.

Must Read: Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

Places to Stay near Petronas Twin Towers

Some of the most comfortable hotels to stay while visiting the Petronas Twin Towers, are as follows-

1. Impiana KLCC Hotel, Kuala Lumpur -

The Impiana KLCC Hotel is one of the most comfortable and luxurious places to stay in when you are in Kuala Lumpur, with affordable rooms and great amenities.

2. Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur -

The Mandarin Oriental, located at Kuala Lumpur City Centre, is one of the most popular hotel in terms of services and facilities. Some of the rooms even offer a great view of the Twin Towers.

3. The RuMa Hotel and Residences -

The RuMa Hotel and Residences provides a very comfortable stay with modern facilities including a minibar, in-house restaurants, breakfast buffets, room service and much more.

4. Soho Suites KLCC LX Stay -

Located at Jalan Perak Road, the Soho Suites KLCC LX Stay is the perfect place to relax and rewind with family and friends.

Checkout: Resorts in Malaysia

Medical Facilities in Petronas Twin Towers

There are two primary medical centres in the Petronas Twin Towers. You can avail the services of any one of the following in case of a physical emergency:

- The Twin Towers Medical Center is situated at Suria KLCC,402-404 Persiaran Petronas. The timings are from 8:30 am – 6:00 pm. This facility remains closed on Sundays.

- Twin Tower Medical Centre is situated at Lot, LC – 402,404 Jalan Ampang Road. This facility remains open from 8:30 am – 9:00 pm. The facility remains closed on Sundays.

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Travellers' Tips before Visiting Petronas Twin Towers

There certain things a tourist needs to keep in mind while planning to visit the Petronas Twin Tower.

- The number of people visiting the tower is limited to 1000 people per day.

- The tickets are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

- If you wish to tour the Tower, you need to be alert and take the initiative to get your tickets confirmed.

- Monopods, tripods and other heavy videography equipment is not allowed on the premises. However, you can keep them in a locker until you finish your tour.

- Entry for children under the age of 3 is free.

- All bags and luggage are scanned before you enter.

- Children below the age of 12 are not allowed to enter without an accompanying adult.

- Smoking, chewing gum, eating and drinking are prohibited during your visit.

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The Petronas Twin Towers are the most striking landmark in Kuala Lumpur and there are many different ways in which you can reach the towers.

By Car:

You can hire a private car, a long-distance or a short distance taxi to take you to the Petronas Twin Towers. The place is accessible via Jalan Kia Peng, Jalan Ampang and Jalan P. Ramlee.

By Bus:

You can avail one of the following city buses that can take you to the towers: Bus No. B103 from Titiwangsa Bus Station and B114 from Maluri Bus Station, both of which belong to Rapid KL City Bus. You can also take a GOKL City Bus of the Green Line or the Purple Line, which will take you directly to KLCC.

By Train:

The expansive train network in Kuala Lumpur has many trains that stop at a station near the twin towers. You can avail the following trains: Port Klang Line and the Seremban Line (KMT), Sri Petaling Line and the Ampang Line (LRT), Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (MRT) and the KL Monorail Line.

Also Read: Places to Visit in Kuala Lumpur