No visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is complete without visiting the Skybridge of the Petronas Towers. When the towers were completed in 1998, they were the tallest buildings in the world at 451 meters, holding that title until 2004 saw the completion of Taipei 101 reach a height of 509 meters. Malaysia was understandably proud at this engineering triumph and the twin towers remain a symbolic achievement of Malaysia entering the modern global economy.
If you arrive at the towers early in the morning you can get one of the few allotted tickets for each day to ride the elevator to the Skybridge on the 41st floor. The two-story bridge is 170 meters off the ground and spans the 58 meters between the towers. The bridge is not attached to the structures, but is instead designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking during high winds.
Under the towers is the Suria KLCC Mall which features mostly high-end retailers. It also includes an art gallery, a philharmonic theater, an underwater aquarium and a science center. Encompassing 17 acres below the buildings is KLCC park with walking paths, fountains, wading pools, and a gigantic children’s playground.
The Petronas Towers remain the world’s tallest twin buildings.
Text and photos by Stephen Bugno
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