Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur’s newest skyscraper.
Photographer: Ian Teh/BloombergWorld's Second Tallest Tower Spurs Debate About Who Needs It
Building tall landmarks had long been a source of prestige and national pride for Malaysia’s leaders, but the recent addition of another has the current prime minister suggesting there’s already enough.
A quarter-century after the Petronas Twin Towers became the world’s tallest buildings and reshaped Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, Malaysia’s capital is continuing to add new skyscrapers despite growing doubts over the level of demand for property.
Kuala Lumpur already has more supertall buildings than all but seven cities, and recently it’s added another — the 678.9-meter (2,227-feet) Merdeka 118, which will fully open to the public later this year. A long spire helped it edge out the Shanghai Tower to become the second-tallest building in the world after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.