Joanna James
The Petronas towers is one of the most significant attractions in Malaysia which is the tallest twin towers in the world. If that alone is not enough to pay this magnificent building a visit on your trip to Malaysia, here are ten interesting facts about the towers.
Petronas towers was the proud record holder of the world's tallest building when it was constructed in 1998. Although it has currently lost this title to Burj Khalifa, it still holds the 7th place in the list of tallest buildings in the world.
Petronas towers holds the record for the tallest twin towers in the world with a height of 1483 feet. It is no surprise that this is one of the architectural wonders that leave visitors amazed as the soar through the 88 stores of concrete.
As surprising as it may sound, 590,000 square feet of laminated glass have been used to construct this fascinating building. So much of laminated glass has been used with a purpose for reducing the heat caused by the 899,000 square feet of steel holding the building together.
If you are inside the Petronas Tower during a hurricane you got nothing to worry about. Keeping up with the safety regulations the tower is built to withstand wind speeds of 65 miles per hour. The sky bridge which connects the two towers is retractable in and out of the building to avoid breaking out during adverse weather conditions such as strong winds.
The towers were built to represent the Malaysian culture, forming the shape of an eight-pointed star from the top which represents unity, harmony, stability and rationality in Islamic culture. To overcome the limited floor space due to this design semi circles were added to each inner angle where each tower now has 43,600 square yards of floor space.
One of the easiest ways to make sure you can take a tour in the Petronas towers is to purchase your ticket online. However, if you staying at one of the Berjaya hotels and resorts, which is within close proximity you could easily get to there in the morning to purchase tickets at the entrance.
One of the most fascinating features of the Petronas towers is its sky bridge which connects the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors. You could cross this bridge for a thrilling experience and beautiful views of the city as you cross the 192 feet long bridge held 558 feet above the ground. Most famous hotels in Malaysia are within close proximity to the towers so a tour here should not be missed.
Each tower of this gigantic building weighs 300,000 tonnes which is equal to the weight of 42,857 elephants. This heavy weight is supported by a foundation that is 400 feet under the ground which is said to be the world's largest foundation.
The construction of this miraculous building has taken 6 years and over US 1.6 billion Dollars. Comprising of tonnes of concrete, stainless steel extrusions and lamination glass, it would take 2 months to clean all the glass panels alone.
The masts of the tower have been built by Japanese and Korean construction companies which has taken a total of 5 months to be completed. Each mast alone weighs 176 tons and is 241 feet long. These masts have played a big role in achieving the title of the world's tallest building at the inception.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
