KUALA LUMPUR: The Merdeka 118 tower is currently 42% complete, according to PNB group chairman Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
Speaking at during a luncheon talk at The PNB Corporate Summit 2019, she said 83 floors of the office tower have been completed, and the whole project is expected to be completed by 2021.
“PNB acquired this site in 2000, and we saw the opportunity to unlock its value as far back as the planning stage,“ she said.
The 118-storey building overlooks two national landmarks - Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka.
Zeti also explained that the silhouette of the tower’s spire mirrors the iconic image of the outstretched hand of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj during the declaration of independence.
“Merdeka 118 is a beacon of hope, a catalyst of rejuvenation of the area. It is also a fusion of commerce and culture.
“The precinct will not only embody our culture and legacy of independence, and is a synthesis of contemporary architecture in a historic area,“ she said.
According to previous reports, the tower is phase 1 of Merdeka 118, which will offer 83 floors of office space of about 20,000 sq ft per floor.
The project will also have the PNB observation deck, the highest viewing deck in Southeast Asia and will also house the only Park Hyatt Hotel in Malaysia while PNB will occupy 17 floors of the tower.
Phase 2 will offer a retail component of about one million sq ft in net lettable area known as Merdeka @ 118.
Phase 3 will be a three-tower premium residential section estimated to be launched by the end of next year.
The tower is also targeting a triple platinum rating with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), GreenRE and Green Building Index (GBI) rating which will make the building the first in Malaysia to earn such a rating.
