奇速英语

世界第二高楼在马来西亚高耸入云

The spire(尖顶) of a 118-story skyscraper(摩天大楼) has topped out at over 2,227 feet above Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Set to become the world’s second tallest building upon its completion next year, Merdeka 118 now stands higher than China’s 2,073-foot Shanghai Tower and is only shorter than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

At a ceremony marking the spire’s completion on Tuesday, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob described the project as an “iconic tower for the future.” “This is not only a great achievement in the field of engineering,” he told reporters. “But it also further strengthens Malaysia’s position as a modern and developed country.”

Comprising 3.1 million square feet of floor space, more than half of which will be offered as offices, the tower will also house a mall, a mosque(清真寺) and a Park Hyatt hotel and Southeast Asia’s highest observation deck. The wider four-acre site will also contain public spaces and a park at ground level.

Set in a historic part of Kuala Lumpur, the skyscraper overlooks the Stadium Merdeka, where former leader Tunku Abdul Rahman declared Malaysian independence in 1957. Ismail Sabri, who was named prime minister in August, said on Tuesday that the sculptural design “reflects the image” of Rahman famously raising his hand to shout “merdeka!” (Malay for “independent”) more than six decades ago.

Announced in 2010, the project broke ground five years ago, despite concerns voiced by some local heritage campaigners about the impact it could have on the historic neighborhood. Though the building was expected to open this year, work was interrupted in March 2020 when the Malaysian government introduced strict lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Kuala Lumpur’s skyline has been transformed by skyscrapers in recent decades, and the Malaysian capital is now the 13th tallest city in the world, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The 1,483-foot Petronas Towers stood as the world’s tallest buildings between 1998 and 2004, when they were surpassed by Taipei 101 in Taiwan, China.