Merdeka 118: world's second-tallest building rises to 678.9 metres in Malaysia

The skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to be opened in 2022

The top spire of Merdeka 118, the second-tallest building in the world, has been completed. Getty Images

The world's second-tallest skyscraper has reached its final height, only 150 metres short of the current record holder for the tallest building, Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

The pointed spire atop the Merdeka 118 in Downtown Kuala Lumpur has been completed, making it the second-tallest building in the world at 678.9 metres, and stealing the title from China's Shanghai Tower, which stands 632 metres tall. Burj Khalifa, which opened in January 2010, still towers above all at 828 metres.

Designed by Australian firm Fender Katsalidis, Merdeka 118 is scheduled to be completed in late 2022. Built on the historically significant Merdeka site, where Malaysia's independence was declared in 1957, the building’s 118 storeys will house offices and a hotel, topped by a dual-level observation deck and a restaurant, which is expected to be the highest in South-East Asia.

The building’s exterior design is modelled on triangular shapes found in traditional Malaysian arts and crafts, Fender Katsalidis says on its website, while elements of the theme are also used in the interiors.

"Seemingly cleft from solid stone, it comprises a lower lobby for hotel access at one end, and at the opposite end, an upper lobby for the offices and retail," the description reads.

At 678.9 metres, Merdeka 118 is only 150 metres shorter than the Burj Khalifa. EPA

Initially scheduled to be completed last year, the construction of Merdeka 118, which began in 2015, was delayed by more than six months in 2019 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The project has a budget of 5 billion Malaysian ringgits ($1.1 billion).

"We feel incredibly proud to have contributed to the creation of this building and its host of community assets which enrich one of the most culturally significant sites in Malaysia," Fender Katsalidis, co-founder Karl Fender, told architecture and design magazine Dezeen.

"This building and its surrounding precinct has added an aspirational sense of new place to the city's identity, and has at the same time enabled much-needed major improvement to the pedestrian and traffic infrastructure of the area."

The 128-storey Shanghai Tower houses the J Hotel Shanghai Tower, which opened in July and is now the world's highest hotel. While the Burj Khalifa also has the Armani Hotel Dubai, it occupies floors one to eight of the world’s tallest tower, as well as floors 38 and 39.

Scroll through the gallery below for pictures of the tallest buildings in the Middle East:

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  ALMAS TOWER, DUBAI, 360 metres: Part of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Almas tower was briefly the tallest in Dubai when it was topped out in 2008. It is the headquarters of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, with high security vaults and safe deposits to protect clients' assets. Gabriela Maj / Bloomberg

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  ADDRESS BOULEVARD, DUBAI, 370 metres: Opened in March 2017, Address Boulevard boasts sells itself as a "city lifestyle resort". Residents and guests do not need to step onto the balmy streets to access Dubai Mall, which is it connected to with an air conditioned bridge. Not to be confused with the 300 metre tall Address Downtown, which was built in a similar modernist Art Deco style and opened in 2008. Courtesy: Emaar Hospitality

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  ELITE RESIDENCE, DUBAI, 380 metres: Opened in 2012, at an estimated cost of Dh1bn, the 91 floors have nearly 700 flats with views over Palm Jumeirah. It boasts a distinctive design and is recognisable on the marina skyline. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  BURJ MOHAMMED BIN RASHID, ABU DHABI, 381 metres: Abu Dhabi makes it into the top 10, with a building named in honour of the Ruler of Dubai. Completed in 2013, the capital’s tallest building is part of the World Trade Centre which includes a mall and souq. Mona Al Marzooqi/ The National

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  23 MARINA, DUBAI, 392 metres: Briefly the world’s tallest residential tower, 23 Marina opened in 2012. It includes 57 swimming and plunge pools, with 62 high speed lifts, including one for each of the 23 four bedroom duplexes, and boasts views over Media City's lake and amphitheatre. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  AL HAMRA TOWER, KUWAIT CITY, 412 metres: Kuwait’s tallest building is marked by its curved sculpted concrete exterior, which is also the world’s tallest of its type. It was completed in 2011 with offices, a shopping mall and a rooftop restaurant. AFP

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  PRINCESS TOWER, DUBAI, 413 metres: The tallest residential building in the world until it was overtaken by 432 Park Avenue in Manhattan five years ago, Princess Tower was opened in 2012 with 763 residential units. There are 107 storeys, including six underground, with an observation deck on the 97th floor. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  MARINA 101, DUBAI, 425 metres: The second tallest building in Dubai is also the 27th tallest in the world. Construction began in 2006 and, although it was completed in 2017, the building remains unfinished and unoccupied due to financing issues. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  MAKKAH ROYAL CLOCK TOWER, MAKKAH, 601 metres: Part of the Abraj Al Bayt complex, the tower over looks the Great Mosque of Makkah and the Kaaba and was completed in 2012. It includes the highest and tallest clock faces in the world – the minute hands alone are 23 metres long. AFP

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  BURJ KHALIFA, DUBAI, 828 metres: The tallest building in the world when it was completed in 2010, Burj Khalifa actually took the title a year earlier when it surpassed Taiwan’s Taipei 101. It boasts several world records, including the building with the most floors (163), the world’s longest elevators at 504m, and the world's highest restaurant. It is so tall the sun sets three minutes later on the observation deck than on the ground. Tarek Fahmy / Reuters