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Petronas Towers Timeline

(1992 - 1998)

The Petronas Towers are twin 451.9-meter skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Designed by architect Cesar Pelli, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers. They blend Islamic design elements with modern engineering and serve as a symbol of Malaysia's economic growth. Less

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Planning and Construction

Postmodern style chosen for the towers

1992

A distinctive postmodern style was chosen to create a 21st-century icon for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, blending Islamic motifs with modern skyscraper design.

Planning on the Petronas Towers begins

Jan 1, 1992

Planning on the Petronas Towers started on 1 January 1992 and included rigorous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads on the design.

Excavation begins at former Selangor Turf Club site

Mar 1, 1993

Seven years of construction followed at the former site of the original Selangor Turf Club, beginning with excavation that involved moving 500 truckloads of earth every night to dig down 30 m (98 ft) below the surface.

Construction of the superstructure commences

Apr 1, 1994

The construction of the superstructure of both towers commenced on 1 April 1994, marking the start of vertical construction above ground.

Skybridge lifted into place over three days

Jul 1995

After being constructed on the ground, the double-decker skybridge was lifted into place on the towers over a period of three days in July 1995.

Interiors with furniture completed

Jan 1, 1996

Interiors with furniture were completed on 1 January 1996, bringing the office spaces of both towers to a finished state.

Spires of Tower 1 and Tower 2 completed

Mar 1, 1996

The spires of Tower 1 and Tower 2 were completed on 1 March 1996, exactly three years after construction began, giving the towers their final height.

First Petronas personnel move in

Jan 1, 1997

The first batch of Petronas personnel moved into the building on 1 January 1997, marking the start of occupancy of the towers.

Concrete raft loses largest pour record

2007

The raft foundation is 4.6 m (15 ft) thick, weighs 32,500 t (35,800 tons) and held the world record for the largest concrete pour until 2007.

Image source: Petronas Towers

Concrete raft loses largest pour record

Incidents and Safety

Alain Robert's first climbing attempt

Mar 20, 1997

In his first attempt on 20 March 1997, French urban climber Alain 'Spiderman' Robert was arrested by police at the 60th floor, 28 floors away from the summit.

Felix Baumgartner's record BASE jump

Apr 15, 1999

On 15 April 1999, Felix Baumgartner set the world record for BASE jumping (since broken) by jumping off a window cleaning crane on the Petronas Towers.

Bomb hoax reveals evacuation shortcomings

2001

The total evacuation triggered by the bomb hoax on 12 September 2001 showed that the bridge would not be useful if both towers needed to be emptied simultaneously, as the capacity of the staircases was insufficient for such an event.

Evacuation after bomb threat

Sep 12, 2001

Thousands of people were evacuated on 12 September 2001 after a bomb threat made the day after the September 11 attacks destroyed the World Trade Center towers in New York City.

Successful evacuation drill using lifts

2005

Plans call for the lifts to be used if both towers need to be evacuated, and a successful drill following the revised plan was conducted in 2005.

Fire in Suria KLCC cinema complex

Nov 4, 2005

On the evening of 4 November 2005, a fire broke out in the cinema complex of the Suria KLCC shopping centre below the Petronas Towers, triggering panic among patrons.

Image source: Suria KLCC

Fire in Suria KLCC cinema complex

Alain Robert's second climbing attempt stopped

Mar 20, 2007

His second attempt, on 20 March 2007, exactly 10 years after his first, was also stopped on the same floor, though on the other tower.

Image source: Alain Robert

Alain Robert's second climbing attempt stopped

Alain Robert scales Tower Two to the top

Sep 1, 2009

On the morning of 1 September 2009, French urban climber Alain 'Spiderman' Robert, using only his bare hands and feet and with no safety devices, scaled to the top of Tower Two in just under two hours after two previous efforts had ended in arrest.

Records and Milestones

Surpassing the original World Trade Center towers

1998

The Petronas Towers became the world's tallest twin skyscrapers, surpassing the original World Trade Center towers in New York City.

Tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004

1998 - 2004

From 1998 to 2004, the Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until they were surpassed by the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan.

Official opening attended by Mahathir bin Mohamad

Aug 31, 1999

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad officially marked the completion and opening of the Petronas Towers on 31 August 1999.

Image source: Mahathir Mohamad

Official opening attended by Mahathir bin Mohamad

Petronas begins selling tickets to visit the towers

2010

Petronas began selling tickets in 2010, eliminating free visits to the towers' observation areas.

Surpassed by The Exchange 106 as tallest building in Malaysia

2019

The towers were the tallest buildings in Malaysia until 2019, when they were surpassed by The Exchange 106. They remain the world's tallest twin skyscrapers.

Image source: Merdeka 118

Surpassed by The Exchange 106 as tallest building in Malaysia

Popular Culture

Entrapment filmed at the towers

1999

The towers are prominently featured and mentioned by name in the 1999 film Entrapment, with numerous scenes filmed at the towers and the climax set on the skybridge.

Image source: Entrapment (film)

Entrapment filmed at the towers

Featured in The Amazing Race 3

2002

A 2002 episode of The Amazing Race 3 ('Why Did You Have to Take Your Pants Off?!') featured the Petronas Towers as part of a task in which the competing team had to have their photograph taken in front of the towers.

Image source: The Amazing Race 3

Featured in The Amazing Race 3

Featured in Jackie Chan Adventures episode 'When Pigs Fly'

2002

A 2002 episode of the animated series Jackie Chan Adventures titled 'When Pigs Fly' (Season 3, Episode 6) features the towers.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin levels set in the towers

Oct 1, 2002

In the 2002 game Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, the Malaysia-based levels Basement Killing, The Graveyard Shift, and The Jacuzzi Job all take place in the Petronas Towers.

Image source: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin levels set in the towers

Cover of The Audition album Controversy Loves Company

2005

The towers are seen on the cover of the 2005 album Controversy Loves Company by American pop punk band The Audition.

Image source: Controversy Loves Company

Cover of The Audition album Controversy Loves Company

Appears in Life After People episode 'Bound and Buried'

2009

In the 2009 History Channel original program Life After People, the towers appear in the episode 'Bound and Buried', which states they would survive approximately 500 years without human maintenance before collapsing from weathering and erosion in Malaysia's tropical climate.

Just Cause 2 features Panau Falls Casino inspired by towers

2010

In 2010's Just Cause 2, the fictional Panau Falls Casino is based on the Petronas Towers.

Image source: Just Cause 2

Just Cause 2 features Panau Falls Casino inspired by towers

Fair Game opens with scenes of the twin towers

2010

The opening of the 2010 film Fair Game had scenes with the twin towers along with the skyline of Kuala Lumpur.

Image source: Fair Game (2010 film)

Fair Game opens with scenes of the twin towers

Viral Factor includes shots of the twin towers

Jan 19, 2012

A number of scenes for the 2012 Hong Kong-Chinese action film Viral Factor included shots of the twin towers.

Image source: The Viral Factor

Viral Factor includes shots of the twin towers

Independence Day: Resurgence depicts towers destroyed by aliens

Jun 22, 2016

In the 2016 film Independence Day: Resurgence, the towers are dropped onto London Tower Bridge by aliens, with a character commenting: 'They like to get the landmarks'.

Image source: Independence Day: Resurgence

Independence Day: Resurgence depicts towers destroyed by aliens

Bloodshot features Rising Spirit Technologies in Kuala Lumpur

2020

The towers make an appearance in the 2020 film Bloodshot; Rising Spirit Technologies (RST) is stationed in Kuala Lumpur.

Image source: Bloodshot (film)

Bloodshot features Rising Spirit Technologies in Kuala Lumpur

Key Facts

  1. The Petronas Towers were officially opened on August 31, 1999, and held the title of world's tallest building until 2004.
  2. Designed by Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli, the towers reach 451.9 meters including their spires.
  3. They were built primarily of reinforced concrete, chosen for its cost-effectiveness over steel in Malaysia.
  4. A double-decker skybridge connects the two towers at levels 41 and 42, 170 meters above the ground.
  5. The towers' floor plan is based on an eight-pointed star, reflecting Islamic geometric design traditions.

Source

This Petronas Towers timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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