The metallic towers captured my attention during my first trip to Malaysia in 2011. Pointed tips rip through the clouds, an eyesore that's enough to captivate the most desensitised New York City dweller. Seen from almost every corner of Kuala Lumpur, the perfect symmetry and glittery reflection of their blue-grey exterior dominate the city's skyline.
The sight provides visitors with a taste of the exoticism that lurks beneath.
Constructing Petronas Towers
Designed by an Argentine with architectural prowess and constructed using Japanese engineering ingenuity, the Malaysian twin peaks – constructed over several years starting in 1994 – were the tallest manmade constructions in the world until 2004.
With a façade included specifically in the design to reflect the Islamic inclinations of the population’s majority, it aptly echoes the melting-pot dynamic of the Malaysian city. Replete with a shade wall made entirely of glass and shields of stainless steel, the buildings manage to reflect the equatorial light to which they're continually exposed.
Visiting Petronas Towers
Soaring 452 metres into the Malaysian sky, visiting the twin towers provides visitors with an unobstructed panorama of the city and beyond.
Although floor 88 is off limits to most, gaining access to the Skybridge followed by the Observation Deck on the 86th floor is enough for bedazzlement by the bustling city.
I booked to go at dusk and experienced Kuala Lumpur transform under the heavens’ variegated light, from day to night.
Experiencing the Panorama from Floor 86
Occasionally hidden by a passing nucleus of cumulus clouds, the view from the towers’ Observation Deck on the 86th floor is sensational. At the equivalent of AU$12 a ticket, visiting is highly recommended.
Although the Siamese twins partly embody Kuala Lumpur to those on the streets below, capturing a glimpse of the city from above 300 towering metres provides a more refined perspective.
I got to pry into the lives of the one and a half million people who live in the sprawling metropolis, under the changing colours of twilight.
