Menara Kuala Lumpur

The Menara Kuala Lumpur (translates as Kuala Lumpur Tower) is a tall tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia built in 1995. It's used for communication purposes and features an antenna that reaches 421 m (1381 ft), which currently makes it the fifth tallest tower in the world. The roof of a pod is at 335 m (1099 ft). The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a rotating restaurant, providing diners a beautiful view of the city. Races are organised yearly where participants race up the stairs to the top.

Construction

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.

On 6 July 1992, the second phase began with the construction of the foundation and basement of the tower. Approximately 50,000 cubic meters 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 started 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.

On 13 September 1994, Prime Minister, YAB Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad performed the Topping-up Ceremony where the Antenna Mast was installed, thus marking the final height of the tower, 421 meters 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 Agong Tuanku Jaafar and Raja Pemaisuri Agong 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.

Facts

Menara Kuala Lumpur is the fifth tallest telecommunication tower in the world (after CN Tower Canada, Ostankino Tower Russia, Oriental Pearl Tower China, Borj-e Milad Iran). Built to enchance the quality of telecommunication services and the clarity in broadcasting, Menara Kuala Lumpur also stands to be the symbol of Kuala Lumpur, the Garden City of Wondrous Lights.

The structure can be divided into 5 basic sections: The foundation base - houses 3 basement floors for safety needs, 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 2058 step flight of stairs. The Tower Head - holds the public observation platform (276m) and revolving restaurant as well as the telecommunication and broadcasting stations. The Antenna Mast - crowns the tower and specially utilized for telecommunication and broadcasting transmissions.

In constructing Menara Kuala Lumpur, the builders took special care to construct a retaining wall around a 100 year old Jelutong tree (Dyera Costulata).

To conserve the tree's position, the tower was moved at a cost of RM430,000 to avoid felling the monumental tree, which is found near the pedestrian mall.

External Link

• Official Site (http://www.menarakl.com.my)
• Emporis.com (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=105763)
• Structurae.de (http://www.structurae.net/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0003517)

See Also

List of towersde:Menara KL