UNDENIABLY WORLD-CLASS
by Lim Lay Ying
Property Times, New Straits Times
19th June 2004

It would be quite hard to imagine that the beautifully landscaped park at KLCC was once the site for the Selangor Turf Club.

When the 97-acre property was purchased by Kuala Lumpur City Centre Holdings Sdn Bhd (KLCCH) on behalf of several of its subsidiaries back in 1988, the vision was to create a 24-hour city-within-a-city where people shop, work, live, play, and learn. Kuala Lumpur City Hall liked the idea, approving the master plan which was a winning entry by internationally-renowned US-based Klages Carter Vail & Partners, California (which was responsible for master planning Sentosa Cove in Singapore and The Burj Al-Arab in Dubai amongst others).

The centrepiece of the project’s masterplan was to be the public park which would occupy over half of the land area. It was to become an urban amenity for the people of Kuala Lumpur at a location which was once privy to a minority group of people and patronized by horse-racing punters during race-days only.

The Makings of A Masterpiece

Not willing to compromise on the quality of such an important feature of the development, KLCCH brought on board (the late) Brazilian-artist Roberto Burle Marx who was referred to as the landscape architect of the 20th century. The park was to be his last masterpiece which proved to be amongst the best of his works besides his 5km landscaping effort at Copacabana Beach.

Today, the public park provides more than a haven of tranquility and joy for people from all walks of life and age segments (and birds as well). Together with some of the mature and rare specimens of flora and fauna which were saved from the former Turf Club grounds, about 1,900 indigenous trees and 66 species of palms adorn the park grounds and contribute to the visual delight of the environment.

Among the main attractions of the park are the 10,000-square metre (110,000 square feet) Lake Symphony with fountains which have been programmed to provide 150 colourful and dramatic animations, a 2-acre children’s playground, a 1.3-kilometre jogging track which encircles the park, and a children’s wading pool. Dotting the park grounds are shelters, benches, rest areas, drinking fountains, and public restrooms.

Meanwhile, the commercial aspects of the mixed-use development KLCC project have not been neglected. The remaining 47acres of the land surrounding the public park were sub-divided further into 22 plots featuring an eclectic mix of retail and office space, hotel accommodation, residential blocks, convention, exhibition, and entertainment facilities. In all, more than 1.67million square metres (18million square feet) of floor space have been planned within this urban enclave.

From Vision to Reality

Along with the park, the first phase of the project kicked off in 1992 with the construction of the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, Suria KLCC – a six-level shopping centre, two office blocks – Menara Maxis (49-storeys) and Menara ESSO (30-storeys), the 32-storey five-star Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, the 6,000-capacity Asy-Syakirin Mosque, and two District cooling centres. Cesar Pelli & Associates, another internationally-acclaimed design consultant, was hired to transform KLCC’s Phase One vision to reality.

The 344,186-square metre (3.7million square feet) Petronas Twin Towers holds the title of the tallest twin towers in the world today. It gained international fame and glory when it was selected as the location for the filming of the Hollywood box-office “Entrapment”. In 2002, it was conferred the Fiabci Prix d’Excellence award in the Office category. Organised by Fiabci, the Paris-based International Real Estate Federation, the award honours the best in real estate in their respective fields around the world.

Incorporating energy-efficient state-of-the-art building specifications and features of 21st century intelligent office buildings, the Towers are presently occupied by PETRONAS – a state-owned petroleum corporation, its associate companies, and selected multinational companies.

At the podium of the twin towers sits the 864-seat PETRONAS Concert Hall, named Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS. Also master-minded by Cesar Pelli & Associates, the concert hall is designed with world-class architectural and acoustic technology in mind. It serves as the home for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and is also a reference base for energy, petroleum, petrochemical, and related industries.

Another development within the mixed-use project which has helped to add to KLCC’s impressive list of international accolades is Suria KLCC, a 139,535-square metre (1.5million square feet) shopping centre. It recently emerged winner of the Fiabci Prix d’Excellence 2004 Award in the Retail category.

Presence of Global Brands

Carrying a value of RM1.5billion currently, Suria KLCC is nestled between the Petronas Twin Towers and overlooks the park. It offers six levels of retail outlets ranging from retail shops, restaurants, cafes, entertainment, and leisure facilities. Global brands such as Isetan, Marks & Spencer, Dunhill, Boss, Mikimoto, (and many more) have established their presence in the city by setting up flagship stores in the mall.

At the upper levels of the mall are an art gallery, owned and managed by PETRONAS which features both traditional and contemporary art, PETROSAINS – a Petroleum Discovery Centre which is a state-of-the-art interactive edutainment facility focusing on the petroleum industry, and Tanjong Golden Village Cineplex.

Complementing the world-class stature of the KLCC development is the award-winning five-star luxury hotel, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, which opened for business in October 1998. The 643-room hotel which won the award for Asia Pacific’s “Best Meeting Venue” in 1999, features a state-of-the-art fitness and spa centre – the Mandarin Oriental Vitality Club, the Mandarin Oriental Club Lounge which also offers 148 Club-designated rooms and 11 Club suites, and the Grand Ballroom which is Kuala Lumpur’s largest pillarless ballroom.

Currently under construction within the urban enclave is the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre which is intended to host regional and international conventions, trade shows, public exhibitions, dinner functions, and sporting events. Designated spaces within the Convention Centre include the main foyer, a retail area at basement 1, the Plenary Hall with seating for 3,000 delegates, a 500-seat Theatre, a 10,000-square metre (110,000 square feet) Exhibition Hall, two Conference Halls, a Grand Ballroom, a Banquet Hall, and 19 medium-sized and smaller breakout-rooms.

“Next generation” edutainment facility in Aquaria@KLCC

Seamlessly integrated with the Convention Centre are a four-star hotel which will provide the necessary accommodation for the convention and exhibition delegates, and the general business community, and a 60,000-square feet state-of-the-art aquarium located on basements 1 and 2 of the convention centre precinct. Named the AQUARIA@KLCC, it is designed to be a next generation aquarium showcasing advanced multi-media technologies to integrate technology, education, and entertainment in the aquarium experience.

With the array of world-class facilities defined by similarly world-class architectural design and management standards, KLCC is indeed Kuala Lumpur’s, if not Malaysia’s most visible large-scale urban project and the most well-conceived thus far in terms of connectivity and integration with its surroundings. Instead of being planned in isolation, the masterplan has managed to create a seamless connection with the rest of the city.

Most of all, aside from the high standards it has established for the real estate development community in the city along with premium values it has been able to command, KLCC has also been a boon to the residential and commercial properties nearby. Capital values and rents are consistently on the rise making it the most expensive place to work and live in the country currently. It will be closely watched for its role in helping Kuala Lumpur establish itself as a world-class city.