Menara Kuala Lumpur/ Kuala Lumpur Tower

Ever wanted to see the whole of Kuala Lumpur an instant? More than just a sight to remember, Menara Kuala Lumpur is poised to be Malaysia's top tourist destination providing both local and foreign tourists with a breathtaking and picturesque view of Kuala Lumpur from a towering height of 276m. Keeping the consumers in mind, Menara KL has developed an exciting program where people get to dine, shop as well as have a bird's eye view of the CITY OF LIGHTS all in one tower. At Menara KL, visitors will also find a theatrette, an amphitheatre, beautiful cascading pools, a fast food restaurant and souvenir shops. A trip to Kuala Lumpur will simply not be complete without a visit to Menara Kuala Lumpur!

Completed in May, 1996 and acting as the country's main telecommunications and multimedia broadcasting tower, Menara Kuala Lumpur is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle at the epicenter of Kuala Lumpur's business and entertainment district, you can reach the Tower from Jalan Sultan Ismail to Jalan P. Ramlee via Jalan Punchak with parking provided for up to 184 vehicles.

Menara Kuala Lumpur stands at 515m above sea level. Majestically poised at a breathtaking height of 421 metres (1403 ft), the Tower doubles as Kuala Lumpur's best known ambassador.

Situated atop Bukit Nanas at 94m above sea level, it is on higher ground than the Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur. Menara Kuala Lumpur was constructed as a telecommunications tower to upgrade the quality of telecommunications and the clarity of broadcast transmissions. Undoubtedly, Menara Kuala Lumpur marks the start of a milestone in the telecommunications arena.

Menara Kuala Lumpur is one of the tallest concrete towers in the world, standing at 421m and built with 45,000 cubic metres of sturdy concrete. Designed with vertical ribs on the external surface, the Tower weighs 100,000 tonnes and was built on no-piling, freestanding land. Menara Kuala Lumpur opulently stands as the tallest tower in Southeast Asia.

CONSTRUCTION

Menara Kuala Lumpur, the nation's spectacular tower, was designed by the local firm of Kumpulan Senireka Sdn. Bhd. and constructed by Wayss & Freytag to provide the nation with a telecommunications and broadcasting tower. It is one of the tallest concrete towers in the world at 421 metres and also the fourth tallest telecommunications tower in the world.

The construction of Menara Kuala Lumpur which began on October 1991, was a 3-phase process. The first phase was the widening of Jalan Punchak and the excavation of soil from the construction site. This phase went on until 15 August 1992.

Artistry in ConstructionOn 6 July 1992, the second phase began with the construction of the foundation and basement of the tower. Approximately 50,000 cubic metres of concrete were continuously poured for 31 hours thus setting a record in the Malaysian construction industry. The foundation work that required no piling was completed by 15 April 1993.

The third phase was the construction of the 'superstructure' which began in May 1993. The tedious construction of the tower stet with the erection of the tower shaft, then the tower head later. As the finishing touches to the tower head were being done, the construction of the touristic building began.

The touristic building is adomed with designs that reflect the Malaysian Islamic culture. The main lobby of the upper ground floor is decorated with exquisite glass-clad domes that sparkle like giant diamonds. These domes were designed and arranged in the form of the Muqarnas by Iranian craftsmen from Isfahan.

OPENING CEREMONY

On 13 September 1994, Prime Minister, YAB Dato Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad performed the Topping-up Ceremony where the Antenna Mast was installed, thus marking the final height of the tower, 421 metres above the ground. Lastly the Installation of the facilities and amenties executed to ensure comfort and safety.

Menara Kuala Lumpur was officially opened by the Prime Minister on 1 October 1996. Among the distinguished guests to the Tower were the Yang di-Pertuan Agung Tuanku Jaafar and Raja Pemaisuri Agung Tuanku Najihah; the wives of the Sultan of Brunei, DYMM Paduka Seri Baginda Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha and DYTM Pengiran Isteri Hajah Mariam.

WHAT ARE THERE?

Touristic Building

At the upper ground floor, the two-level touristic area is linked to the 146-metres long pedestrian mall which adjoins the main entrance featuring a cascading reflective pool in its centre. The space at the ground level houses mainly the switch-room, kitchen for the revolving restaurant and administration office for Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn. Bhd. The main public area and entrance is at the upper ground level. At this level there are 9 shoplots, a fast food restaurant, a mini-theatre (47 seats; shows a documentary on the construction of the tower every 15 minutes) and an open-air amphitheatre (222 seats), surau (prayer room), public toilet and office space for MKLSB. The upper ground level is also accessible through the Escalator from the ground level.

Tower Shaft

The Tower Shaft comprises 22 levels, with 4 elevators and 2058 flight of staris. The circular concrete Tower Shaft is designed with vertical ribs on the external surface, fanning out into decorative painted aluminum Islamic pattern at the soffit of the Tower Head. Along the Tower Shaft are twenty-two (22) platforms providing access to the lift lobby for maintenance and rescue purposes. Rooms for the cellular phone radio base station are allocated at level T02 (30m above the ground level). The Tower Shaft is 24.5 m at its widest and narrows to 13.6m near the top. The thickness of shaft walls goes from 1.4 m to 0.6 m.

Tower Head And Antenna Mast

The entire 6-level tower head is clad in glass (double-glazed with gas infilled) arranged in the traditional Islamic form of the "muqarnas". Four high speed lifts (capacity = 800 people per hour) will zoom you up the KL Tower to the Observation Platform in 60 seconds where a breathtaking 360° view of the city by day and by night awaits. Visitors will find an observation platform on the first level and a revolving restaurant on the second level. The Tower Head has a total area of 7,700 sq meters and is 50 m diameter-wide at its widest point. Note: It's 2,058 steps from the Base to the Tower Head! The Tower Head also houses the telecommunication and broadcasting stations.

Restoran Berputar Seri Angkasa (Revolving Restaurant)
Located at Level Two of the Tower Head, serves international and local cuisine 'above the clouds'. At a height of 282 meters above ground level, this 9,172 square feet restaurant offers not only a revolving dining area, but also music area and lounge. The restaurant is open daily from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm for lunch and 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm for dinner. A la carte menus are available for lunch and dinner. A la carte menus are available for lunch and dinner, which are priced at RM50++ for lunch and RM70++ for dinner on weekdays. High tea buffet is also available everyday from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm. The restaurant capacity is 250 peoples.

World's Highest McDonalds and the Tower Burger

Other attractions at the Tower include the world's highest McDonalds and the Tower Burger! The last section of Menara Kuala Lumpur is an 86 meters long telecommunication and broadcasting antenna mast which also includes RTM's antenna serial for UHF, VHF and FM band at the last 12 m of the antenna mast.

FACTS

The KL Tower is the fifth tallest telecommunication tower in the world (after the CN Tower in Canada, the Ostankino Tower in Russia, the Oriental Pearl Tower in China, and the Borj-e Milad in Iran). Built to enhance the quality of telecommunication services and the clarity of broadcasting, KL Tower represents the symbol of Kuala Lumpur.

The structure is divided into 5 basic sections:

• The foundation base houses 3 basement floors for safety purposes, storage and maintenance work.
• The touristic building bears the administration office, souvenir shops and the 146 meters pedestrian mall with cascading pools.
• The tower shaft comprises 22 levels with 4 elevators and flights of stairs with a total of 2,058 steps.
• The tower head holds the public observation platform (276 m) and revolving restaurant as well as the telecommunication and broadcasting stations.
• The antenna mast crowns the tower and is specially utilized for telecommunication and broadcasting transmissions.

When constructing the KL Tower, the builders took special care to construct a retaining wall around a 100-year-old jelutong tree (Dyera costulata). The tower was moved at a cost of RM430,000 to avoid harming the monumental tree, which is found near the pedestrian mall.
Menara Kuala Lumpur ranks fourth amongst the tallest telecommunications towers in the world and was constructed over a period of four years and completed in May 1996. Menara Kuala Lumpur is designed to withstand wind pressuresof up to 90mph. Menara Kuala Lumpur is a member of the prestigious World Federation of Great Towers.

The four tallest towers in the world are CN Tower in Canada at 553m, Ostankino Tower in Russia at 537m, Shanghai Tower in China at 468m followed by Menara Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia at 421m.

Technical Data

• Construction Period : 1992 – 1995
• Tower :Height - 421 m above ground
• Outer diameter of shaft - 24.5 m to 13.6 m
• Thickness of shaft walls - 1.4 m to 0.6 m
• Foundation and basement - 17 m deeep
• Maximum foundation diameter - 54 m4 lifts and staircase serving the tower head from the ground level.
• Number of steps, 2058(from basement to tower head 11 , TH11)
• Head :6 storeys7,700 m square floor area
• Revolving restaurant & observation platform, technical & service floorMaximum diameter - 50 m
• Entrance Level :Touristic Building, Entrance Mall
• Principal Quantities :Concrete 45,000 m, Reinforcements,5,300 tonnes, structural steel 1,300 tonnes
• Total Weight of Tower :100,000 tonnes

Open:
Monday – Friday = 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday, & Public Holidays = 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Entrance Fee = RM 8.00 (US$2) adult and RM 3.00 (US$.75) children (4-12) and Free = children ages 3 and below