Komtar

The KOMTAR Tower, in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia, is the state's tallest skyscraper and the eleventh-tallest building in Malaysia. KOMTAR is an acronym for Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak, named after the second Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The tower was constructed in 1974 and completed in 1986. When the skyscraper topped out in 1985, it was originally completed with 65 floors and a height of 232 metres (761 ft). At the time of its completion, the KOMTAR Tower was the second-tallest building in Asia after Sunshine 60 in Tokyo. The building maintained its status as Malaysia's tallest skyscraper for another three years before being surpassed by Menara Maybank in Kuala Lumpur in 1988. To this day, KOMTAR Tower's status as Penang's tallest skyscraper remains unchallenged.

KOMTAR actually consists of a multipurpose complex, comprising retail outlets, a transportation hub and administrative offices of the Penang state government. It was named after Tun Abdul Razak bin Hussein Al-Haj, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, who officiated the piling of Phase 1 on 1 January 1974.

In 2015, as part of a revitalisation plan, three more storeys were added, raising the height of KOMTAR Tower to 249 metres (817 ft). In addition, KOMTAR Tower is home to the Rainbow Skywalk, the highest glass skywalk in Malaysia, which has been installed at the top of the skyscraper and launched in 2016. Further efforts to revitalise KOMTAR include the launch of The Gravityz, billed as the world's highest rope course, at the exterior of the skyscraper's 65th floor in 2018.

History

Background

KOMTAR was the brainchild of Lim Chong Keat, the younger brother of Lim Chong Eu, the second Chief Minister of Penang. It was meant to revitalise the city of George Town by creating a complex that would house administrative, commercial, retail and transportation functions under one roof, as well as projecting...