Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas Twin Towers are the unmistakable landmark of the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur, affectionately called KL. The 88-story, 452-metre cylindrical towers were the tallest buildings in the world when they were completed in 1998, until Taiwan's Taipei 101 was built 60 metres taller in 2004.

The Petronas Towers, named for Malaysia's state-owned oil and gas company, were designed by the late Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli, who incorporated motifs of Islamic art into his postmodern design. It remains his masterpiece, and a true standout in a country and continent full of skyscrapers. One of the most unique features of the towers can be seen here: a two-level skybridge that connects the towers at the 41st and 42nd floors.

Skyscrapers are common where populations are high, land is in short supply and economies flourish. Even the Petronas Towers, though emblematic of the KL skyline, are no longer the tallest building in Malaysia with the arrival of 678-metre Merdeka 118, completed this year as the second-highest building in the world. But they’re still the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers, and the perfect inspiration to appreciate such engineering and architectural feats.