Showing 1-16 of 16 results
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Chulan Tower
Completed in 2006, this new skyscraper on the edge of the Golden Triangle resembles a vast Chinese pagoda, jacked on up on top of a red-marble tower.
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Civil Service Memorial
Dedicated to the work of the Malaysian Civil Service.
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Kompleks Dayabumi
The former headquarters of Petronas, Malaysia's national oil and gas company, the Kompleks Dayabumi was built in 1981 on land formerly occupied by the workshops for the Malayan Railway. The landmark feature here is a tall marble tower, cloaked in delicate fretwork screens. In profile, the tower forms a four-pointed star intersected by a square, a reoccurring symbol in Islamic art. Despite being one of the older buildings in KL, the tower is notable for its clean lines and purity of form.
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Masjid Albukhary
A short stroll east from the Pudu Jail is the gleaming modern Masjid Albukhary. Its dome features stunning blue tile work outside and detailed stucco work inside. Visitors are welcome outside of prayer times.
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Menara KL
Although the Petronas Towers are taller, the 421m Menara KL offers the best views over the city. Surrounded by a dense area of pristine jungle, this lofty spire is KL's answer to Seattle's Space Needle or Auckland's Sky Tower. This is the world's fourth-highest telecommunications tower - the bulb at the top contains the revolving restaurant Seri Angkasa and an observation deck with soaring views over KL.
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Menara Maybank
Designed by Hijas Kasturi, this was one of KL's first skyscrapers but it still stands out today for its chunky design inspired by the handle of a kris, the traditional Malay dagger.
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Merdeka Square
The huge open square where Malaysian independence was declared in 1957 is ringed by heritage buildings and dominated by an enormous flagpole and fluttering Malaysian flag. In the British era, the square was used as a cricket pitch.
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National Monument
At the northern end of the Lake Gardens, the National Monument commemorates the defeat of the Communists in 1950. The militaristic bronze sculpture was created in 1966 by Felix de Weldon, the artist behind the Iwo Jima monument in Washington, DC. Nearby is a monument to the Malay fighters who died in WWI and WWII.
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Old KL Train Station
Midway between Chinatown and KL Sentral is another of AB Hubbock's Moorish-inspired fantasies. KL Train Station opened with much pomp and circumstance in 1911 to receive trains from Butterworth and Singapore. This wonderful confection of turrets and towers looks particularly impressive in the golden afternoon sunlight - half close your eyes and you can imagine the old Orient Express steaming in from Singapore.
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Petronas Towers
There could be no better symbol of KL than the iconic Petronas Towers, the headquarters of the national oil and gas company Petronas. These shimmering chrome towers rise above the city like twin silver rockets plucked from an early episode of Flash Gordon, a perfect allegory for the meteoric rise of KL from tin mine to space-age metropolis.
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Rumah Penghulu
One of the Heritage of Malaysia Trust's big success stories was the Rumah Penghulu, a glorious wooden stilt-house saved from dereliction and moved to the trust headquarters from Kedah.
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Sam Kow Tong Temple
The small Sam Kow Tong Temple has an impressive dragon roof but a slightly sterile interior.
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Sultan Abdul Samad Building
The east side of the Merdeka Square is dominated by the domes and clocktower of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, built as the secretariat for the colonial administration in 1897. It was designed by the India-obsessed architect AC Norman - who also created the Jamek Masjid - and it now houses the Malaysian High Court. There are several more AC Norman constructions along the east side of the square, providing a striking counterpoint to the looming Menara KL and Petronas Towers.
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Tabung Haji
One of Hijas Kasturi's creations, this striking tower houses the Haj pilgrimage funding body. The five main exterior columns represent the five pillars of Islam while the overall structure recalls the drum used to summon pilgrims to the Haj and the shape of a traditional Arabic perfume vessel.
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Tun Abdul Razak Memorial
The Tun Abdul Razak Memorial contains the personal effects, speed boat and golf cart of the second prime minister of Malaysia.
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World's Longest Mural
Painted around the perimeter wall of the Pudu Jail is the world's longest mural, a frieze of tropical trees and islands created by prisoners with 2000 litres of paint.
Showing 1-16 of 16 results
