Korean construction and engineering company Samsung C&T announced on Jan. 11 that it completed the construction of the 679-meter-high Merdeka 118 building in the center of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and held a grand opening ceremony on Jan. 10.

Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia./ Samsung C&T

The ceremony was attended by Malaysian King Abdullah Sultan Ahmad, Raja Arshad, chairman of the Malaysian state investment fund, and Samsung C&T CEO Oh Se-chul. In particular, King Abdullah delivered a congratulatory speech and signed the building’s commemorative plaque.

Merdeka 118 is a skyscraper with 118 floors above ground (5 floors below ground) and a height of 679 meters, making it the second tallest skyscraper in the world just behind Burj Khalifa(also built by Samsung C&T), the world’s tallest building. With a gross floor area of 673,862 square meters, it is a massive complex that includes offices, a luxury hotel, and a shopping mall. On the top floor of the building is an observation deck that offers a bird’s eye view of the city center.

In addition to its innovative design, Merdeka 118 features a 160-meter pinnacle, high-pressure concrete pumping, and other challenging technologies. Samsung C&T installed the spire 500 meters above the ground using the “lift-up method,” in which a hydraulic jack pushes the spire up without a tower crane, and measured it in real time using GPS.

This is not the first time Samsung C&T has built a skyscraper in the Malaysian market. In 1998, the company built the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest building in Malaysia at that time (452 meters), followed by a number of other high-rise landmark projects, including Star Residences and a luxury residential complex of the Sapura group.

“It is significant that the world’s first and second tallest buildings were constructed by Samsung C&T,” said Kim Sung-gyeom, site director of Merdeka 118. “Although there were various challenges during the construction process, including the unexpected pandemic, Samsung C&T’s top-notch construction technology and know-how enabled us to complete the world’s landmark buildings successfully.”