The Petronas Towers is the tallest skyscraper of the 20th century. Petronas Towers - Malaysian skyscrapers - "twin towers in Kuala Lumpur

One more ... or rather a couple :-)

Before the advent of the Petronas Towers, the tallest building was the Sears Towers in Chicago with its 443 meters. At first, the Malaysians did not even set out to break this record. But the appetite comes with eating, so the vertical races began already towards the end of construction.

On the site where the towers now stand, the Selangor hippodrome was opened in 1896, but on weekends, on the days of the races, there were such traffic jams on the road to it that the city authorities moved the hippodrome outside the city. There were many plans for the reconstruction of this - very attractive for developers - territory.

The cost of this plot of land was already hundreds of millions of ringgits (Malaysian dollars). The development project of this vast territory was adopted for several years, as the financial interests of many state and commercial structures were affected. At first, on the site of the hippodrome, it was supposed to break huge park, designed to become the "lungs" of the capital of Malaysia. However, preliminary estimates showed that it is possible to equip and maintain the park only through commercial activities. Therefore, it was decided to design a business center with a park, expand the highways around the park, and build a light transit railway line. The Malaysian twins were not designed to be the tallest structure in the world.

Eight architectural workshops participated in the tender for the construction of the Petronas Towers. The American of Argentine origin Cesar Pelli won the competition. It is he who owns the project of another famous skyscraper - the World Trade Center in New York. In his works, Pelli always took into account the national characteristics of the country where he built. So he designed the Petronas Towers according to Muslim motives (the majority of the population of Malaysia professes Islam). The base of the Petronas Towers has the shape of an eight-pointed star - one of the symbols of Muslim culture. The buildings are also crowned with domes, vaguely reminiscent of the outlines of mosques.

Pelli completed hundreds of mock-ups of the Petronas Towers before creating the final one. Only the design of the windows alone took dozens of paper models. As a result, the project was ready, and in 1992 the construction itself started.

The foundation of the Petronas Towers was laid at a depth of more than 100 meters - this is the largest concrete foundation in the world. There really was enough concrete here - for three days every 90 seconds it was poured into the base of the skyscraper. In total, 13,200 cubic meters of high-strength concrete were used for the foundation of each of the towers. And so that the skyscrapers do not tilt, like leaning tower of pisa, 16 23-meter piles were introduced into the foundation. Practice has shown that the Petronas Towers are not afraid of even strong Malaysian hurricanes. Skyscrapers will stand even if three of the 16 piles collapse.

The frame of the buildings themselves was made of steel structures, the total weight of which reaches almost 37 thousand tons. The Petronas Towers were then glazed with tinted windows to keep out the tropical heat. In total, there are 32 thousand windows, with a total area of ​​77 square meters.

The towers have no central core and no extra space. When installing elevators in a limited space, an ingenious principle was used: the elevators were made two-story, two in each shaft: one stops only on even floors, passing odd ones, the other, respectively, only on odd ones.

The towers can withstand even the loss of three of the sixteen load-bearing columns. An air bridge mounted on giant ball bearings provides additional security, as the towers sway and the bridge cannot be rigidly fixed.

Approximately in the middle of the Petronas Towers connects the unique Skybridge. Now it is considered the highest double-deck bridge in the world.

On August 9, 1995, at the level of the 41st and 42nd floors of the Petronas Towers, a unique bridge was installed that connected the two skyscrapers. As conceived by the architect Pelli, its construction is not only functional, but also symbolic. The light, graceful bridge connecting the Petronas Towers to each other was designed and built in South Korea by Samsung Heavy Industries. Then it was disassembled into 493 parts with a total weight of 452.64 tons and transported to Malaysia in the summer of 1995. In Kuala Lumpur, at the construction site, the bridge was first assembled on the ground and then raised up. The central section of the bridge consisted of 307 parts. The main part of its structure has a length of 41 m, a width of 5 m, a height of 9 m, and a weight of 325 tons. The two support beams of the bridge have a length of 42.6 m, each of them weighs 60 tons. many tests for wind resistance, since they compensate for the effect of wind on high altitude. The other two blocks are designed to strengthen the bridge at its ends, each of them has a length of 8.3 m and weighs 30 tons. Total weight of all bridge structures amounted to 750 tons, it was assembled within three days and three nights.

By the way, the bridge of the Petronas Towers twice became a "movie star". First time in The Trap with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. And the second one is in our Apocalypse Code. It was from this bridge that Anastasia Zavorotnyuk's understudy jumped. Moreover, during the jump, the parachute of the stuntwoman caught on one of the power lines, de-energizing the whole block of Kuala Lumpur.

Almost all the interiors of the Petronas Towers have very high ceilings; on some floors, there are peculiar attics that further expand the space. The Petronas Towers are also famous for their elevators. There are already 76 cargo and passenger lifts. Most of them are two stories high. That is, the first tier of the elevator stops only on the odd floors of the Towers, and the second on the even ones. In addition, the elevators are divided into groups. For example, some run only up to the 16th floor, others travel between the middle ones, and in order to climb to the very top, on the 41st floor, you need to transfer across the bridge. Petronas elevators are considered among the safest in the world. They are very spacious - each cabin is designed for 52 people. A few years ago, they were also improved in terms of speed: now it takes only a minute and a half to get to the top floor of the Petronas Towers.

In total, about $1.6 billion was spent on the construction of the Petronas Towers. The main sponsor was actually Petronas, whose offices entirely occupy one of the towers. Much of the cost was covered by local oil and media tycoon Anand Krishan. He arranged a large-scale PR campaign for skyscrapers - even before the completion of construction, various goods with the logo of future skyscrapers were sold to tourists. As a result, his company MIA Holdings also occupied part of the offices of the Petronas Towers. Now the headquarters of many other well-known companies, such as Microsoft, Boeing, IBM, Al Jazeera English, are located here.

On the ground floor of the Petronas Towers there is a concert hall with 840 seats, as well as an art gallery. There is also a six-level shopping center with a spherical roof, which is visited by 650,000 people a week. The Gasoline Museum is one of the local attractions.

In addition, the city authorities kept their promise, and a huge park appeared around the Petronas Towers. There is a children's pool, many sports grounds, attractions and fountains. A mosque and a local philharmonic hall were also built on the territory adjacent to the skyscrapers, where most of the notable cultural events take place.

As the Petronas Towers got taller, the builders wondered if they could beat the world record. But in the end, the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur turned out to be 88-story, and were inferior to the 110-story Sears Towers by more than 65 meters. But then the resourceful Malaysians decided to attach spiers to the towers, each 73.5 meters high. Due to this trick, the Petronas Towers snatched the coveted 7 meters from the American competitor.

But the record for the height of the Petronas Towers was kept only until 2003. Immediately after construction, the Australians and the same Americans joined the high-altitude race. The championship again remained with Asia. In 2003, the Taiwanese Taipei 101 shot up 508 meters. However, he did not hold the first line in the Top of skyscrapers for long. Now the tallest building in the world is the Burj Dubai tower in the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, the Arabs, apparently, got into the taste of high-rise construction. Next in line is a new tower - Al Burzh, in the project its height should reach 1200 meters. Against this background, the Petronas Towers already look more modest. But beauty does not suffer from the loss of a height record.

Address: Kuala Lumpur, City Centre, 50088, Malaysia
Telephone: 603 2051 1320

Sky bridge visit
The sky bridge of the Petronas Towers has been open to the public since May 2000. The visit is paid, or, in the early hours, you can stand in line for free tickets.
Visit days: Tue - Sun (closed on Mon)
Visiting hours: 9:00 to 19:00 (closed for Friday prayers from 13:00 to 14:30)

Issuance of tickets: From 8:30 a.m. daily except Mon

On the very first day after the night arrival, we decided to visit Petronas And Menaru. First of all, we stomped to the Petronas, from Chinetown This walk took us about a minute. 30-45 with a calm step, we went by Bukit Bintang, using the KL card, which was taken at some hotel, from a girl offering excursions. We arrived there at 11 am, and we were told that there were no tickets left and if you want to get there, you need to buy them in advance. And it’s not a fact yet what will happen the next day. Fortunately, we went on the very first day, otherwise we would not have got to the Petronas. So, if you are going to, consider this fact.

So the tickets are worth 10 ringgit(about 100 baht) – only on Sky Bridge, 40 ringgit(about 400 baht) - on Sky Bridge and Observation Deck, RM200 for Sky Bridge, Observation Deck and lunch, RM350 for Sky Bridge, Observation Deck and Set Chinese-Japanese-Western Dinner (that is, dinner of your choice). We bought tickets for 40 ringgit.

visit assigned only on certain time , of course, first they will ask if it is convenient for you. The very procedure of visiting the Petronas bridge (Sky Bridge) and the observation deck (Observation deck) lasts only 30 minutes: 10 minutes to the bridge and 20 minutes to the observation deck.

This is not very encouraging: you don’t have time to see everything, take a closer look, tinker with the camera, choose angles, because you have to hurry, or rather, you don’t have to hurry yourself, but the organizer hurries you. By the way, the time is so limited due to the fact that the next group of tourists should come. But despite the fact that their brochure states that they work from 9 to 19, Tickets start selling at 8:30 and calls are made only a few times a day (about 3). Monday - day off.

1. Petronas is 88-storey skyscraper.

2. Its height - 451.9 meters.

3. In terms of the complex is two eight-pointed stars, but the architect added semi-circular ledges for stability.

4. Allotted for construction 6 years(1992-1998).

6. Towers built by two different companies to create competition and increase productivity.

7. Piles driven to a depth of more than 100 meters - world's largest concrete foundation.

8. The area of ​​​​all premises of the building is 213,750 square meters, as area of ​​48 football fields.

9. There is a tower 765 stairwells.

10. Parking at the towers is 5,400 spaces.

11. The towers themselves occupy 40 hectares in the city.

12. From 1998 to 2004 years they were considered tallest buildings on earth.

13. The main customer is the state oil corporation Petronas.

14. The cost of construction is 2 billion ringgit (800 million dollars).

15. A covered walkway in the form of a bridge ensures the fire safety of the building.

16. Washing 16,000 windows of one tower takes a month.

17. The towers employ 10,000 people.

18. Each tower weighs 300 tons.

19. The entrance to the Air Bridge became paid from October 1, 2010, until that time they were not allowed to enter the observation deck at all.

20. Each tower has 29 high-speed passenger elevators and 10 escalators.

In film "Trap" starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, thieves carry out a computer theft of eight billion dollars from the largest bank in Petronas on New Year's Eve 2000, and then try to escape by climbing from one tower to another along a festive illumination suspended on a bridge.

In film "Apocalypse Code" with Anastasia Zavorotnyuk, the champion of Russia (understudy of the heroine Zavorotnyuk) in skydiving makes a jump from the bridge of the tower between the 41st and 42nd floors (height: 170 meters).

In a documentary series "Life after people" the towers are mentioned twice: after 75 years (the gallery between the skyscrapers collapses down) and after 500 years (one tower collapses and touches the other, leading the entire complex to destruction).

So, we bought tickets and had to come to Petronas in a day, by 17.00 pm. And we came, not even late. Inside, Petronas are completely made in the style in which they look from the outside. Everything is glass-stone-metal, there are escalators, stairs, handrails all around, everything burns, shines, glows.

For a while we waited for the previous group to come out and let us in. Our expectation took place in a small room, one might say, a museum dedicated to the Petronases. At least not boring. We didn't manage to take pictures because it's very dark, but we managed to capture something on camera. In the room there are screens with photographs of buildings, stories about how they were built, a demonstration of building structures in miniature, there is such an attraction: check how many times the Petronases are taller than you, I liked the corner with puzzles, where there are several tasks that you need independently perform, for a long time we stood over an empty cube (with an open upper wall), in which we need to fit several square three-dimensional figures so that none of them climb out of these walls of the cube, but, in the end, we succeeded. To get an idea of ​​what kind of museum this is, those who are interested can watch the video:

Malaysia is another Asian country where I really dreamed of going and, of course, taking a famous photo against the backdrop of the twin towers, which were once the tallest buildings in the world. This is the most popular place, travelers arriving in Kuala Lumpur go there almost first of all. You can say that you have not been to Kuala Lumpur if you do not have such a photo. And I'm no exception to the rule.

To be honest, what else you can see in this city, I did not know until the very arrival there. It turned out to be something to look at. But you can read about other attractions.

Before coming to Kuala Lumpur, I imagined this city consisting of only skyscrapers, among which are the twin towers. But in reality, I saw that there are not so many skyscrapers, multi-storey buildings - yes, they are present, but perhaps not all of them can be called super-high.

The towers are really impressive, I saw them for the first time right from the hotel window. In general, they are visible from almost anywhere in the city. And what panoramas open at night are simply breathtaking!

I arrived in Malaysia in the evening, and it was already dark, so I went straight from the airport to the hotel. My room was located on a relatively high floor, so the view from the window was simply amazing! And thanks to such circumstances it was possible to make interesting photos graphics on the background of the towers. The next day it was decided to go directly to them and study everything in more detail.

What is the Petronas skyscraper in Malaysia?

Why twin towers and why Petronas? This question popped into my head.

It turned out that they are named after the state oil company Petronas, which decided to overtake America and build the world's tallest skyscraper. And they did it. Towers were erected from 1992 to 1996. As a result, Petronas were recognized as the tallest building in the world, moving the Chicago skyscraper Sea Tower from the first line.

The height of the twin towers was 451.9 meters or 88 floors. But already in 2003, they lost their championship to Taipei 101 in Taiwan.

The two towers were built by two different companies, said to increase productivity. And due to the fact that the soil in this place turned out to be soft, the piles were driven in more than 100 meters. The result was the deepest concrete foundation in the world. The towers house offices, a theater, an art gallery, a concert hall, cafes and restaurants, and a shopping mall. And work in them, imagine, more than ten thousand people. Broken at the foot beautiful park with fountains and pools, which is very nice to walk around and take a photo.

On the 86th floor there is an observation deck, and on the 42nd floor the two buildings are connected by a covered bridge. This bridge, by the way, is also the highest in the world.

How to get to the Petronas Twin Towers

I found out that the towers are located in the KLCC area (see on the map), and there are several ways to get there:

• If you live in the nearest area, then you can walk, just follow the direction to the towers. I noticed very few pedestrians on the streets, maybe because it is too hot, maybe because the roads are practically not provided for them.
• Get there by taxi. Catch a car, ask to turn on the meter, explain that you want to see the towers. Such a trip will cost about $4 or RM15 (depending on your location and time of day). And it is also desirable that the Internet and a navigator work for you, which will show the nearest route to the towers, otherwise Asian drivers can take you around the city with a breeze in order to increase the meter reading.

• Get by public transport. The nearest metro station, KLCC, is a 5-minute walk from the towers.

• The nearest monorail station, Bukit Nanas Monorail, is a bit further away and is a 15-minute walk away.

• Well, if you have connecting flight, and you only have a day to see the towers, then go there directly from the airport either by taxi or metro if it's not night. To do this, you need to take the KLIA Express from the airport, which will take you to the KL Sentral station in a little less than 30 minutes and for about $ 10 (38 ringgit). There, change to the Kelana Jaya metro line and follow to the KLCC station, then walk 5 minutes and you are there.

For myself, I chose a taxi. True, on the way the driver managed to show me a catalog with excursions and offer his services in the near future. This was not part of my plans, so I politely thanked him and left right at the foot of the twin towers.

And here I stand and think... Is it worth it for me to climb them or can I just walk around and take interesting photos, because I saw the giants themselves from the window of my hotel, and it really pleased me, but what will I see from the towers themselves?

Opening hours and cost of attendance

An hourly visit to the Petronas Towers in Malaysia costs 85 ringgit - about $ 20, depending on the current exchange rate.

You can buy tickets at the box office or on the official website. There, on the website, you can find out in detail the hours and days of the visit. They go upstairs in groups: first to the transparent bridge, and then to the 86th floor of the tower. They work for visiting tourists daily from 9.00 to 21.00, excluding Mondays.

Of course, it is worth visiting the towers, but as for climbing the observation deck and the bridge, maybe not. Here everyone makes a decision for himself. Previously, it was free, you just had to come early and stand in line for a couple of hours. And now the rise costs $ 20, and you can’t do without queues. Therefore, I decided that I would not climb, and went to explore the area around.

A wonderful garden at the Petronas Towers or how to take a super photo

And around there is a tropical garden where you can rest in the shade of vegetation and make beautiful pictures which is what I decided to do.

This park contains almost 2,000 unique plant species from around the world, there are sculptures, bridges, fountains, a lake and walking areas. Well, if you want to do nice photos towers, then you can’t do without a visit to the park. Here are the best places to shoot.

Moving along the paths, you will meet signs along the way indicating that you can take a great shot from this angle. There are more than 10 of them, so a walk through the park took me about an hour. And I even sat down to rest in one of the arbors in the shade.

By the way, the park has free toilets in excellent condition. If you are visiting Kuala Lumpur with children, then walking through this oasis will give you great pleasure, because for younger guests there is even a pool with a waterfall.

Entrance to the park is free.

Where to eat near the Petronas Towers and hide from the sweltering heat

After I walked around the park and took photos from all angles against the backdrop of the famous twin towers, I was honestly tired and realized that I needed to cool off in an air-conditioned room. And the best decision was to go to the mall Suria KLCC located between the towers.

On the lowest floor there is a Foodmarket supermarket and various cafes, where I enjoyed a bite of sushi at a reasonable price of about $ 5. There is a good food court on the third floor. Also on the territory of the shopping center are a cinema, a concert hall and an art gallery.

On the first floor there are boutiques of world famous brands, including Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and so on; on the second and third floors there are shops of more democratic brands Mango, Benetton and others. Even if you don't intend to shop, Suria KLCC is still worth a visit, the center is striking in its beauty, and it is also a great opportunity to eat and cool off a bit.

See the twin towers at night

It seemed to me that a day trip to the twin towers was not enough, and I decided to go there late in the evening to see all the beauty in a different color. And it really was worth it!

A the best place to view all the details, became the famous Sky Bar. It is located on the 33rd floor of the Traders Hotel, which is next to the park.

The bar offers a breathtaking panorama of the whole of Kuala Lumpur and, of course, the twin towers.

The highlight of the SkyBar is the illuminated pool, around which there are comfortable sofas: perfect place for a romantic evening or for those who love to party. I belong to the latter, so I enjoyed spending half the night there.

***

Summing up my trip to Malaysia, I can say that it was a success. And another dream came true. And, of course, the famous photo with the twin towers in the background appeared in my collection!

I spent a wonderful time in Kuala Lumpur, visited many interesting places have great memories of this city. But still, the most important place to visit, which I was especially impressed with, is undoubtedly the Petronas Twin Towers!

One of the symbols of Kuala Lumpur is the Petronas Towers, which are located in the heart of the Malaysian capital. They were built in 1998 and are recognized as the center of the "Golden Triangle" - the area where the best restaurants, luxury hotels and modern shopping centers are located.

The height of the twin towers is 451.9 m. To date, Petronas is ranked 16th in terms of the height of buildings in the world (information for 2018). The author of the project was the architect Cesar Pelli, who took part in an international competition in 1991. Construction began in 1992 and lasted 6 years. In 1998, the towers received the most prestigious Muslim architecture award, the Aga Khan.

Infrastructure and entertainment

The Petronas Towers are connected to each other by the Sky Bridge, which is located at a height of 170 m between the 41st and 42nd floors, it is the highest air bridge in the world. Not having a rigid fixation, the design allows you to move freely between the two giants, thereby maintaining the integrity of the bridge in strong storm winds. The bridge is open to anyone who wishes to receive unforgettable impression from panoramic views of the city, however the number of tickets is limited.

View of Kuala Lumpur from Sky Bridge

The real pride of the towers is the PETRONAS Philharmonic Concert Hall, which is considered the best in the world for classical music concerts. Within its walls, Jean-Yves Thibodet, Roberto Gonzalez-Monyas, Stephen Hough and other famous musicians from all over the world give concerts.

The ultra-fashionable Suria KLCC shopping complex is located on the lower floors. It occupies 6 floors of the building and accommodates fashionable and expensive shops, cinemas, an art gallery, restaurants, a concert hall, an underwater aquarium and a science museum.

Next to the skyscrapers, there is a magnificent park with an area of ​​20 hectares. The main feature of the landscape creation is the dancing fountains. The park is equipped with jogging and walking paths, there is also a children's playground. Cozy and quiet park beautiful place recreation for tourists and local residents.

And 10 km from the center is located, in which more than 5,000 animals live from butterflies to elephants. Entrance to the zoo is paid. The cost depends on which parks you plan to visit.

Information for visitors

Address: Concourse Level, Petronas Twin Tower, Lower Ground, 50088, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Viewing platform opening hours:

• Monday - day off;
• Tuesday-Sunday - from 09:00 to 17:30;
• on Fridays - a break from 13:00 to 14:30.

• DATE 1998
• STYLE Postmodernism
• MATERIALS Reinforced concrete and stainless steel cladding
• ARCHITECT Caesar Pelli, Thornton-Tomasetti (engineers)
• The tallest twin towers in the world

The change of the century and the turn of the whole millennium were marked in architecture by a new round of the high-altitude race. grew up in cities that had never thought of building towers before. The high-rise parameters of buildings, which only yesterday seemed literally transcendental, quickly lost their halo of exclusivity, turning into the most ordinary specifications. The list of the tallest buildings of our time was updated several times a year.

Against this background, the creation of skyscrapers, which not only at a certain time topped the world ranking of the tallest buildings, but turned out to be among the most popular and memorable buildings of the whole decade, looks like a particularly notable achievement. Any architect has the right to be proud of such a spectacular structure! Of course, we are talking about the famous Malaysian complex - the Petronas Towers.

Skyscrapers are a modern technological marvel, and at the same time, they are “undoubtedly symbols of wealth and power. They first arose at the end of the 19th century, in large American cities such as New York and Chicago. There the new wealth of industry and commerce reached its peak.

The most famous skyscraper is (1931), it remained the tallest in the world for more than 40 years, but then the record moved to another American building, (1974). And for another 20 years, no one could surpass the new height.

Tall twin towers

The project that finally broke the Sears Tower record wasn't just another skyscraper in Atlanta or Dallas, it was a pair of amazing towers in Malaysia. After the "economic tigers" appeared in Asia, a new focus of money and power arose. The inevitable result was that unimaginable buildings began to appear in China, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. Once upon a time, grandiose skyscrapers were a purely Western (primarily American) phenomenon. Now they have grown up all over Asia as symbols of national pride and economic prosperity.

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur are a clear expression of the intentions of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mahathir bin Mohamad to make Malaysia an industrial economy and a leader in the region by 2020. The towers stand in the midst of a massive rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur, around which remnants of the colonial past are constantly being destroyed and an entirely new future for Malaysia is being created.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad proposed to build the towers in an "Islamic" style. Therefore, two eight-pointed stars were taken as the basis for the plan of symmetrical buildings, and Pelly added semicircular ledges for stability. As a result, the bright stepped completion of both skyscrapers turned out to be surprisingly multicultural.

The creator of the towers is the American architect Caesar Pelli, he worked with the engineering company Thornton-Tomasetti. One of the towers houses the headquarters of the government oil company Petroleum Nasional Berhad. In total, the towers have 750,000 m2 of office space, 140,000 m2 of retail and entertainment halls, 4,500 parking spaces. There is also a conference center, an oil museum and a concert hall. One of the requirements of the project was to provide a place where Muslim office workers could perform the obligatory prayers twice a day.

The towers are built mainly of reinforced concrete, which is not typical for such tall buildings. True, the concrete was specially designed for this project. They rest on many piles driven into the ground, into the soft stone below it, for as much as 93 meters. Such an unusually deep foundation can support the weight of huge towers, 452 meters high.

The competitive design of office buildings with a height of 451.9 meters for an oil and gas company was accepted in 1992. The construction of the 88-story towers began in 1994, and the official opening took place in 1999. Two competing companies were engaged in construction at once, and in the process they solved many unique technical and engineering problems.

For example, in the course of geological surveys, it turned out that the site allocated for the towers is located on heterogeneous areas of soil, which would lead to subsidence of parts of the building. As a result, the buildings were completely moved by 60 meters and piles were driven to a depth of more than 100 meters into soft ground. Today it is one of the largest concrete foundations in the world.

A person of Western culture, brought up on the aesthetics of the famous American skyscrapers of the first third of the 20th century, will see in the nature of the completions of the Petronas Tower references to the hierarchical spiers of Art Deco architecture, which have become relevant again in high-rise architecture due to the spread of postmodernism ideas. Adherents of Muslim traditions see the multi-tiered stepped top with alternating rounded and rectangular ledges as a modern reflection of Islamic decorativeism.

A careful observer can also see references to ancient Hindu and Buddhist architecture in this structure. And by itself, a comparison with neighboring Indonesian monuments suggests itself (in particular, with the ancient cult complex Prambanan on the island of Java). In addition to architectural associations, another one arises - with the form of ceremonial headdresses of the rulers of South Asia. So the variety of veiled cultural codes, when everyone can find in this building something of their own, habitually close, explains its high popularity among representatives of various nations.

The Twins of the Petronas Towers is a rare example of a complex that has caused a huge number of imitations and replicas all over the world (it must also be taken into account that they were not built at the dawn of the development of skyscrapers, but quite recently). Even in the process of construction in 1996, the complex was recognized as the highest paired office complex, and years later remains the most famous pair of all high-rise twins in the world.

After the success of the Petronas, twin high-rise towers were at the height of fashion. Many eminent architects began to offer customers similar

compositional solutions. At the same time, Cesar Pelli himself no longer returned to this idea in his work, preferring to develop other figurative solutions, including for high-rise buildings.

Petronas Towers is exceptionally high-tech, it is literally crammed with technical innovations and the latest materials. The total area of ​​all premises of the complex is colossal: 48 football fields could fit on 213,750 m2! And the buildings themselves with an adjacent plot occupy 40 hectares of urban territory.

The basis of the construction of the paired high-rise complex is by no means light steel, as one might assume due to the openwork of the outlines of the facades. A significant limitation that influenced the choice of the main material for the supporting structures was the requirement to build a skyscraper from Malaysian building materials.

The local industry could not produce high-quality light steel in the right time. Therefore, a special elastic concrete with the addition of quartz was developed for Petronas, comparable in strength to steel. During the construction process, due to low-quality concrete, it was necessary to dismantle the finished one and re-make the whole floor. As a result, the skyscraper turned out to be twice as heavy as similar steel ones.

The structural frame and internal spaces are adjusted to the millimeter. The towers do not have a central core, and in elevator shafts, for the sake of efficient use of space, two double-decker elevators travel each, each stopping at its own floors - even or odd. In addition, since seismic resistance is an important factor in construction throughout the region, there were also increased requirements for the Petronas towers in this area.

The construction of skyscrapers is such that they will stand even if they lose the support of three of the sixteen supporting columns. The connecting openwork bridge on giant ball bearings also serves as additional insurance: it does not allow the towers to sway too much and deviate from each other, giving the structure greater rigidity and stability. In addition, this air passage is another escape route between the upper parts of the complex in case of fire.

The aforementioned openwork bridge connecting the towers is in fact extremely heavy: its weight is as much as 452.6 tons. This part of the complex was specially made in South Korea and disassembled (493 individual fragments) was transported to Malaysia in the summer of 1995. The assembly of the structure was carried out at the foot of the towers, and the installation with the main volumes is already at a height.

From the very beginning, the building was designed with the needs of the state oil corporation Petronas in mind, and as a result, the headquarters cost the customer and the main investor 2 billion ringgits (800 million dollars). But in addition to a comfortable and status office, the company became the owner of one of the most recognizable buildings of the decade, and Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia as a whole acquired a new main urban dominant, a truly iconic monument modern architecture, and even the image of an advanced and progressive power in the region in the field of modern architecture, engineering and construction is a bonus that cannot be calculated in monetary terms.

The building has a museum exhibition halls and an art gallery, and you have to spend a whole day visiting the observation decks, since the line is built in the early morning, and by 6 am the registration for the opportunity to get into this line is already terminated.

windy heights

In addition to the strength of buildings, there is another big problem for such skyscrapers. So that people can easily get to the upper floors, you need a lot of elevators, elevators take up a lot of space on the floors. So two 44-story "extensions" near the towers are needed so that there is enough space for offices in the buildings.

Between the towers there is a two-story "heavenly bridge" 48 meters long and weighing 738 tons. At a height of about half the towers, it can be used to go from one lobby with an elevator to another. In addition, this emergency exit for strikingly tall buildings. Such buildings from strong wind can sway, so the "sky bridge" is attached to the buildings with movable fixtures, it can move 138 m on each side up to 30 centimeters. The skybridge towers seem like huge gateways to the revitalized city that is rapidly growing around them.

The Petronas Towers are no longer considered the tallest building in the world. In 2004, the record passed to Taiwan's Taipei 101 skyscraper. In addition, giant buildings are now being built in South Korea and Shanghai. Whether these buildings are worth the huge money, the resources and energy that are invested in them, is a political question, and there is still no answer to it.

Mahathir proved that Asians can achieve development without democracy and prosperity without political rights. Historically, skyscrapers have been symbols of Western capitalism and the vibrant energy of development. Whether they can serve as symbols of something in completely different cultures remains to be seen. But they are already making an impression, reminding us of the drive for change that made Asia strong and propelled it into the 21st century.

We can observe evidence of the popularity of Pelli's creation in popular culture. In The Trap, starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, much of the intriguing story of the biggest electronic banking heist on New Year's Eve 2000 takes place in the unusual spaces of a steamy Malaysian skyscraper. The most breathtaking episode was filmed on suspended structures and festive illumination of the bridge connecting the upper parts of the towers. A deft escape of the film's characters ends with a parachute jump in an elevator shaft, which would be impossible in a less technically advanced and not so large-scale structure.

And if in numerical terms Malaysian twins gradually more and more competitors appear, then in terms of figurative and artistic level this work can be safely considered one of the true peaks of Cesar Pelli's work.

Petronas Twin Towers

The twins are connected to each other by a glazed bridge (Sky Bridge) on giant spherical supports, passing at the level of 42 and 43 floors and being part of the fire safety system. It is equipped with an observation deck, which offers an incredibly beautiful view.

The skyscraper is striking in its size. The area of ​​all its premises is 213 thousand square meters. m., which is equal to the dimensions of 48 football fields. Each tower contains 88 floors and occupies 20 hectares. And in order to wash all the windows in the building, it takes at least 30 days.

The majestic simplicity of the outlines of the towers, the stunning view from the observation decks, and the filling of the interior turned the skyscraper into a landmark popular with tourists and local residents.

History of creation

The construction of skyscrapers took 6 years, the project was completed in 1998. Two competing companies took part in the work, which allowed for a significant increase in productivity. At the initial stage, during the study of the soil by geologists, it turned out that the planned development area is located on rock and soft limestone. After the construction of such huge towers, this area would be under threat - the structure could collapse at any moment. Therefore, it was decided to move the construction site by several tens of meters, which made it possible to ensure the safe operation of buildings. Additional reliability is guaranteed by the transition, made in the form of a bridge. In the event of a fire, with its help it will be possible to quickly evacuate from one tower to another.

The entire project cost the main customer, the state oil corporation Petronas, almost $800 million. Part of the amount was contributed by some Malaysian companies, which divided the rental space in the buildings among themselves. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad also took part in the process of creating skyscrapers, who proposed the construction of a building in the Islamic style. The complex is similar to stars that have eight corners, which symbolizes integrity in this religion.

Design features

During the construction of the towers, only materials produced in Malaysia were used, so the workers were not provided with enough steel. Especially for the purposes of this project, strong and elastic concrete was developed, which significantly increased the weight of skyscrapers. Due to the presence of quartz, this material is able to withstand quite strong pressure - it can be compared with steel in strength.

Petronas towers at night

The Petronas Towers are considered the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world. The height of the complex is almost half a kilometer (452 ​​m), it has 88 floors. The builders deliberately used special spiers to increase the height of the structure and overtake the then-leading towers in Chicago. Among all the skyscrapers of our planet, Petronas takes only 4th place after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Taipei 101 in China and the World Financial Center in Shanghai (as of 2015).

Skyscrapers are supported by sixteen load-bearing columns, they are able to withstand even the destruction of three of them. The structure is characterized not only by its considerable height, but also by the complexity of its layout. The total area of ​​the building is 213,750 m², which is equal to the size of fifty football fields. It houses conference rooms, art galleries and concert halls. The bridge is located exactly in the middle of the building - at the level of 40-41 floors. There is a special observation deck with a stunning view. Interesting feature towers - two-story elevators. One of them is for even floors, the other for odd ones.

Interior fittings

Inside the Petronas skyscraper, there are many office spaces and conference rooms that employ about 10,000 people. But there are several objects of interest to tourists. The art gallery features exhibitions of Malaysian and foreign artists, as well as exhibitions of costumes and crafts. The National Symphony Orchestra gives concerts in the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Hall. On the 86th floor of the towers there is an observation deck that opens the panorama of the city from a height of 360 meters.

The area around the towers

Near the towers there is a cozy park with running tracks and neat trees. It has an artificial lake Symphony Lake with fountains. In the evenings, shows are held here, during which the jets of fountains, illuminated with bright colors, move to the beat of loud music. It is in the park that you can find the most successful points for photographing against the backdrop of a skyscraper.

In addition, one of the largest in the country has been opened near the Petronas twins. shopping centers Suria KLCC with the most popular science and entertainment complex and a good food court.

Park near the twin towers

Information for tourists

The towers are one of the main attractions of Malaysia. This masterpiece of architecture is reflected in cinematic art. The structure is mentioned in the movie The Trap, The Apocalypse Code and the documentary series Life After People. Developers have not forgotten about skyscrapers computer games Hitman 2: Silent Assassin and Zero Tolerance.

The Petronas Towers are located in the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) metropolitan area. You can get to them using the subway, getting off at the KLCC station, or by monorail, in which case you need to get off at Bukit Nanas.

Hundreds of people visit skyscrapers every day, several thousand people work here. The influx of tourists is so great that the management had to impose some restrictions on visiting buildings. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as you will have to stand in line for several hours. Ticket offices open at 8.30, the building itself can be entered from 9.00 to 21.00 on all days except Monday. On Friday from 13.00 to 14.30 the skyscrapers are closed to the public. Art Gallery on the third floor is open from 10.00 to 20.00. Tourists are invited to visit a mini-tour, during which exhibition halls and numerous premises will be shown. It is also possible to look at the city from a bird's eye view, standing on observation deck. Visiting the towers and viewing the galleries is possible only as part of an excursion group led by a guide. All this will cost about $20.

The staff serving tourists is distinguished by friendliness, goodwill and willingness to help. If you have any problems or questions, you can safely contact any employee - he will be happy to help you. You can get to the towers using public transport. You should find the nearest metro station and go to the KLCC stop.