Merdeka 118

Megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Merdeka 118, formerly known as Menara Warisan Merdeka,[a] KL 118, and PNB 118, is a 118-story megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At 678.9 metres (2,227 feet) tall,[1] it is the second-tallest building and structure in the world, only behind the Burj Khalifa (Dubai, UAE), at 829.8 m (2,722 ft). Construction was controversially entirely funded by Permodalan Nasional Berhad, an investment management company owned 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.[citation needed] The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Hotel, located on level 75, began operation on 7 August 2025.[14]

Former namesMenara Warisan Merdeka (lit. 'Independence Heritage Tower'), KL 118, PNB 118
Alternative namesMerdeka Tower
Preceded byLandmark 81
StatusCompleted[1]
Quick facts Former names, Alternative names ...
Merdeka 118
Malay: Merdeka PNB 118
Merdeka 118 in October 2024
Interactive map of the Merdeka 118 area
Former namesMenara Warisan Merdeka (lit. 'Independence Heritage Tower'), KL 118, PNB 118
Alternative namesMerdeka Tower
Record height
Tallest in Southeast Asia since 2021[I]
Preceded byLandmark 81
General information
StatusCompleted[1]
TypeMixed-use: Shopping complex, housing properties, hotel, observation, public park, office
Architectural styleNeo-futurism and Malay traditional songket pattern[2]
LocationJalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Menara Merdeka 118, Presint Merdeka 118, 50118 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysia
Coordinates3°08′30″N 101°42′03″E
Named forMalaysian Independence
GroundbreakingJuly 2014; 11 years ago (2014-07)[3]
Topped-out30 November 2021; 4 years ago (2021-11-30)
CompletedNovember 2023
Opened10 January 2024; 2 years ago (2024-01-10)[4]
CostRM5 billion[5]
OwnerPNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd (under PNB)
Height
Architectural678.9 m (2,227 ft)[6]
Tip680.5 m (2,233 ft)[1]
Antenna spire160.7 m (527 ft)[7]
Roof518.2 m (1,700 ft)[7]
Top floor502.8 m (1,650 ft)[1]
Observatory566 m (1,857 ft) (Level spire)[8]
519 m (1,703 ft) (View at 118)[9]
Technical details
Structural systemSteel
Reinforced concrete
Concrete encased steel
Floor count118 (with 6 basement) [citation needed]
Floor area292,000 m2 (3,140,000 sq ft)[10]
Lifts/elevators92 [citation needed]
Design and construction
ArchitectFender Katsalidis in association with RSP KL
DeveloperPNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd
Structural engineerLERA Consulting Structural Engineers, Robert Bird Group in association with Arup[11]
Main contractorSamsung C&T
UEM Group
Known forFirst skyscraper to exceed 500 m (1,600 ft) and 600 m (2,000 ft) in Malaysia and Southeast Asia
Other information
Parking20,000 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.com
References
[12]
Close

The building's name, Merdeka, which means "independence" in Malay, is inspired by its proximity to Stadium 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 the tallest building in Malaysia—surpassing the 451.9-metre (1,483 ft) Petronas Twin Towers—and in Southeast Asia, surpassing the 462-metre (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 as Green Building Index (GBI), including LEED.[17]

Building

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 square metres (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 for Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the developer of the project, and its subsidiaries.[23][24]

Funding

See also: 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal and The Exchange 106

The Merdeka 118 precinct is a 7.7-hectare (19-acre) land development funded by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB),[25] a state-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] 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".[27]

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).[26]

The Merdeka 118 development also has access to the newly built Merdeka MRT station on the Kajang 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 and Jalan Maharajalela to the basement of the precinct.[30]

Design

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.[2] The design was made to resemble and inspired by Tunku Abdul Rahman's outstretched hand gesture while chanting "Merdeka!",[31] 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.[32][33] 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.[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]

Floor plans

More information Level, Purpose ...
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, Mechanical layer
B2 Merdeka 118 Parking, Security Control Center, Mechanical layer
B3 Merdeka 118 Parking, Loading Dock, Mechanical layer
B4 Merdeka 118 Parking, Mechanical layer
B5 Merdeka 118 Parking, Mechanical layer
B6 Mechanical layer
Close

(All of the floor plans and its level arrangements were obtained from the building's proposals and may be subject to change.)[36]

Height

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

More information Height information, Height ...
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)
Close

Progress

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.[37][38] 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.[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 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.[43]

On 27 February 2018, it was announced that Park 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 the Movement Control Order in Malaysia caused by the COVID-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 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.[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 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".[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 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.[51]

Trespassing incidents

In 2022, a viral video began circulating online when a group of American individuals[52] trespassed towards the top of Merdeka 118, prompting criticism of the lack of security measures at the site.[53] 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.[54]

That same year, another trespassing incident occurred when Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus scaled the spire of Merdeka 118, prompting further criticism.[55][56][57][58] 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.[59] Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has confirmed that a full investigation is ongoing.[60]

Notable events

The Sky Race event logo

The Sky Race

In conjunction with Malaysia’s 68th Independence Day celebrations, Merdeka 118 hosted its first ever tower-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.

Event format and participation

  • The challenge involved ascending 2,845 steps from the ground floor up to Level 118, which was not normally open to the public.
  • It was open to participants aged 13 and above, with a range of competitive categories including Open (18+), Junior (13-17), Junior Veteran (40-49), Veteran (50-59), Senior Veteran (60+), and team categories (men, women, mixed teams of three) to encourage wide participation.
  • More than 5,800 participants from about 70 countries registered for the event.

Results and records

  • The Malaysia Book of Records documented two new national records from The Sky Race:
    1. Highest Towerrunning Race at a vertical height of 503 m (1,650 ft) (i.e. from ground to Level 118 of Merdeka 118).
    2. Most Finishers in a Towerrunning Race/Event with approximately 5,600 finishers.
  • In the Men’s Open/Elite category, Soh Wai Ching (Malaysia) won with a time of 15:37, followed by Mark Bourne (Australia) at 15:56, and Lo Ching Chun (Taiwan) at 16:46.
  • In the Women’s Open/Elite category, Yuko Tateishi (Japan) took first with 19:59; second was Le Qinghua (People’s Republic of China) at 20:20; third was Chao Jui Chuan (Taiwan) at 21:32.

Significance

  • The Sky Race marked Malaysia’s first major international tower-running event as part of the Towerrunning World Association (TWA) circuit in the Asia & Oceania Championships.
  • The event elevated Merdeka 118’s role beyond architecture and development, turning it into a stage for sport, endurance, and national pride. It also attracted many first-time tower runners (approximately 74% of participants), indicating both strong local interest and growing international appeal.

In popular culture

Merdeka 118 made its Hollywood debut in a 2023 episode of the DC Comics television series Superman & Lois titled "Closer" (Season 3, Episode 1)[61][62] where Clark Kent / Superman (played by actor Tyler Hoechlin) and his son Jordan Kent (played by Alex Garfin) stopped a crane from collapsing and falling off the building.[63]

Its Hollywood movie debut was in Disney's Marvel Studios' blockbuster film Thunderbolts*, which premiered on April 22, 2025. The opening scene featured Black Widow agent Yelena Belova (played by actress Florence Pugh) leaping off the building's summit during her mission in the city center.[64] To celebrate this cinematic debut, Merdeka 118 was illuminated with a Thunderbolts*-themed light show for several nights leading up to and following the film's release, until 1 May 2025.[65]

Gallery

Outside

  • The Merdeka 118 alongside the KL Tower on its left
    The Merdeka 118 alongside the KL Tower on its left
  • As seen from Kuala Lumpur Tower
    As seen from Kuala Lumpur Tower
  • The glass elevator shaft in the middle
    The glass elevator shaft in the middle
  • LED display
    LED display
  • The top of the tower
    The top of the tower

Inside

  • South foyer
    South foyer
  • North foyer
    North foyer

Construction

  • Foundation works, 2016
    Foundation works, 2016
  • At night, November 2019
    At night, November 2019
  • July 2019
    July 2019
  • Almost completed spire, November 2021
    Almost completed spire, November 2021
  • February 2020
    February 2020

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    English: Independence Heritage Tower

References

External links

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