A crystalline tower reaching more than 600 metres in height, Merdeka 118 forms the centerpiece of Kuala Lumpur’s historically significant Merdeka site, where Malaysian independence was declared in 1957.
Transformative Placemaking on a Grand Scale
The building is the second tallest in the world, containing commercial offices, hotel and leisure spaces. It anchors a 6.35-hectare development, where his iconic 118-storey mixed-use tower rests on a podium containing 147,000 sqm of skylit retail, additional residential towers, and an MRT station.
Housing 16,000 office workers across 50,000 sqm, the tower features a six-star Park Hyatt hotel, a rooftop dining venue, and a two-level observation deck accessed via striking double-story glass elevators on its northern facade.
Harmonizing Architecture and Engineering
The tower’s angular design, inspired by traditional Malaysian motifs, reflects its structural pathways. This geometric aesthetic extends to the podium’s grand atrium creating a cohesive and dramatic architectural statement that has captured the imagination of the people of Malaysia.
The volume of the building is an expression of its structural pathways, resulting in a pattern of triangular shapes reminiscent of those found in traditional Malaysian arts and crafts. This exterior design language carries through to the soaring atrium volumes of the dramatic podium interior. Seemingly cleft from solid stone, it comprises a lower lobby for hotel access at one end, and at the opposite, an upper lobby for offices and retail.
Innovation Enables Record-Breaking Heights
Standing at 679 meters, Merdeka 118 is the second-tallest building globally and the tallest in Asia. The tower’s base includes a shared podium with retail and parking across four underground levels. Its structural composition combines a steel frame with a reinforced concrete mega-structure for lateral stability, developed by Robert Bird Group, who worked on the project from the bid phase through completion.
