The second tallest building in the world, finished in 2024, standing over the field where independence was declared.
At 678.9 metres and 118 floors, Merdeka 118 is the second tallest building in the world, behind only the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
It topped out in 2021 and the observation deck opened in 2024, after a construction programme that ran for a decade.
Why it is here
The site is not an accident. The tower stands beside Stadium Merdeka, the arena built for the independence ceremony, where on 31 August 1957 Tunku Abdul Rahman raised his hand and led the crowd in seven shouts of “Merdeka!” — freedom.
The number 118 and the name are both references to that. The building is a state project, developed by PNB, the government-linked investment fund, and the intention was explicitly national.
The design
Designed by the Australian practice Fender Katsalidis, the façade is a faceted arrangement of glass triangles said to derive from Malaysian songket weaving patterns, tapering to a spire.
Whether it works is argued about. It is undeniably very tall, and from most of Kuala Lumpur it is now the thing you see first.
The View at 118
The observation deck occupies floors higher than any other in Southeast Asia, with indoor levels and an outdoor terrace.
It is the best view in the city, and the reason is straightforward: the Petronas Towers are visible from it, and from them they are not.
You also get Stadium Merdeka directly below, the colonial core around Merdeka Square, and on a clear day the hills.
Book online with a timed slot. There are tiered ticket levels and the higher ones cost considerably more.
The honest bit
It is expensive — among the priciest single attractions in Kuala Lumpur — and there is a strong upsell structure with premium tiers.
The haze matters here more than anywhere. Between roughly August and October, smoke from land-clearing fires in the region can reduce visibility badly, and the deck does not refund for it. Check the API — the Air Pollutant Index — on the day, and go on a clear morning if you can.
The cost of the whole project has been the subject of sustained criticism in Malaysia, given that it was funded through a national investment fund holding the savings of ordinary Bumiputera investors and was built into a soft office market. That argument is live and you will hear it locally.
Below it
Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara are both on the site and both are national monuments. Access varies; check.
The 118 Mall occupies the podium.
Merdeka Square and the colonial buildings are fifteen minutes’ walk north, and Chinatown is between them.
MRT Merdeka station is the nearest and the walk is short but, like most walks in this city, not shaded.
More Landmarks
Petronas Twin Towers
The tallest twin towers in the world, and the one place in Kuala Lumpur from which you cannot see them.
KL Tower
Lower than the towers and with the better view, because from here they are in it — standing in a patch of primary rainforest.
Batu Caves
A 42-metre gold statue, 272 painted steps, a limestone cavern with a temple in it, and monkeys that will take your food.