There’s been much buzz surrounding Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 building over the last few weeks – mostly thanks to its appearance in the latest Marvel film, Thunderbolts, which features a scene where actress Florence Pugh takes a death-defying leap off the side of the building. Marvel themselves even leaned into the hype by lighting it up with Thunderbolts-themed effects.
But what exactly is the Merdeka 118? We’re willing to bet most Malaysians would be scratching their heads to answer this question if asked – and most official sources don’t offer much help either, as many articles we found were chock full of technical and business jargon. So, we’ve tried our best here to break it all down in layman’s terms.
The Merdeka 118 is, as the name suggests, a 118-floor tall skyscraper located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Standing at over 2,000 feet tall, the Merdeka 118 is Malaysia’s tallest building, and the second-tallest building in the world overall, just behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The building’s name and design is inspired by the iconic pose struck by the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, when he declared Malaysia’s independence (or “merdeka”) on August 31, 1957.
It is also notable for incorporating many eco-friendly practices into its construction, such as by using a sustainable blend of concrete known as ECOConcrete. The building’s glass facade is also intended to maximise the amount of daylight entering the building, which might help to reduce electricity usage during the day.
While the building was officially declared open by the King of Malaysia on January 10, 2024, much of its interior construction work is still ongoing, which might explain why it isn’t much of a Malaysian tourist destination just yet. Currently, the only sections of the building open are its office spaces, many of which are available for businesses to rent.
When completed, the building will become a hybrid office-retail-hotel space, with the offices being joined by a tourist observation deck and a seven-storey shopping mall known as the 118 Mall. The international hotel brand Park Hyatt will also open its first Malaysian branch at the Merdeka 118, occupying the topmost floors of the building. Much of this construction is expected to be completed in late 2025.
The full plans for the building’s surrounding areas are even more ambitious, with residential areas, a museum, ballroom and even a theatre in the works.
So, can we expect to see more films being shot at the Merdeka 118 once it’s fully completed? Its CEO, Tengku Ab Aziz Tengku Mahmud, is certainly open to the idea. He told Free Malaysia Today: “Should there be future requests, we will evaluate and consider each proposal, taking into account its suitability and potential impact on Merdeka 118 and its surroundings.”
TL;DR?
The Merdeka 118 is the second-tallest building in the world, and is a currently in-construction office, hotel, and retail space, planned for a full opening sometime in 2025.
You can catch the Merdeka 118’s Hollywood debut in theatres now via the movie Thunderbolts, or even visit the building yourself if you’re in KL, as it’s just a short walk away from the Merdeka MRT station.
