The Petronas Towers are the centrepiece of the mixed-use Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) complex, set in the heart of the commercial district of the city.

Rising 452 metres, the towers were certified the world’s tallest buildings by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in 1996.

The complex is at the forefront of technology, with a form derived from an Islamic pattern, and extensive use of local materials.

The towers have become a popular example of contemporary architecture in Malaysia, and their elegant form makes them the country’s most significant urban landmark.

In 1981 the Malaysian Government undertook the development of a 40-hectare site in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s emerging business district – the ‘Golden Triangle’.

In 1991 an international competition was held for the design of the office tower complex and was won by Cesar Pelli & Associates.

The project design is based on the concept of two interlocking squares that form an eight-pointed star modified by placing eight semicircles in the angles of the corners to create more floor space.

Each tower rises eighty-eight storeys and provides 218,000 square metres of floor space, including an additional circular ‘bustle’ or annex forty-four storeys high.

The towers taper at six intervals, with the walls of the upper levels sloping inwards. Both towers are topped by a conical spire and a 73.5-metre-high pinnacle.