Telekom tower

TELEKOM TOWER
ARCHITECTURE CULTURE AND HISTORY 2 [ARC60203]
MODERN ARCHITECTURE IN KLANG VALLEY
NG YI YANG 0319688
LYNETTE LAW YONG YI 0317761
NATALIE KI XIAO XUAN 0318918
NISHAANTHINY A/P SHANMUGGAM 0323320

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TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................2
FAST FACTS OF THE BUILDING...........................................................................4
HISTORY OF THE BUILDING ...............................................................................6
THE ARCHITECT .................................................................................................8
SITE CONTEXT by Ng Yi Yang & Nishaanthiny...................................................10
ARCHITECTURE LAYOUT by Nishaanthiny........................................................15
ARCHITECTURE STYLE by Natalie Ki .................................................................26
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, STRUCTURE & MATERIALS by Lynette Law.........34
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS AND COMPONENTS by Ng Yi Yang .....................46
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................55
REFERRENCES..................................................................................................57

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Kuala Lumpur is the city centre and thriving hub of the country of Malaysia, the city
skyline shows the blend of different influences of the country, including British Colonial,
Mughal, Tudor, Neo-Gothic, Grecian-Spanish, Asian, Malay Islamic and Modern architecture,
however, the stylings of each implementation and variation of architectural style has been
adapted to accommodate the specific climatic and geographic characteristics of the country.
Whilst the traditional motifs do still appear occasionally and inspire within the
country’s architecture, many 20th century buildings of today’s time are of Modernistic style.
An excellent example is the topic of ours study, which is Menara Telekom (Telekom Tower).
This report consist of detailed study of the skyscraper, ranging from building
construction and materials, to architectural concept and style, to architecture layout and
analysis. We chose this particular building to study as we find its unmistakable, distinguishable,
dynamic form, to be well rounded in many aspects.

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FAST FACTS OF THE BUILDING

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Official Name : Menara Telekom
Other Names : Bamboo Tower, Telekom Malaysia Headquarters
Building Type : Skyscraper
Building Function : Office
Construction Period : 1998 – 2001
Height : 310 m / 1,017 ft
Floors above Ground : 55
Architect : Hijjas Kasturi Associates
Address :
Jalan Pantai Baharu, Taman Bukit Pantai, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.

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HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

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The Telekom Tower, also known as the Bamboo Tower or Telekom Malaysia
Headquarters is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Located along the Federal Highway, Sprint
Expressway and Jalan Pantai Baharu, Telekom Tower is the 3rd tallest skyscraper in Malaysia,
66th place on the global ranking, largest Telecommunications company in the country and the
second largest in South-East Asia.
Built between 1998 and 2001, Telekom tower with its impressive architecture style is
up to 421 metres, develops and rises along an east-west axis, with a spiral motion that reduces
the figure. It has 55 floors which are interspersed evert by sky gardens that act as a link to the
two sides of the structure. These sky gardens are recreational green space for the staffs. . The
tower is equipped various facilities including a theatre that seats up to 2500 audience, a large
mosque, a sports room, clinical centre, and many more.
Designed by the architect Hijjas Kasturi, it was constructed by Daewoo Construction
with the joined efforts by Alimak Hek that provided construction hoists and Dow Corning
Corporation that supplied sealants. The total construction cost was U.S. $ 160 million Telekom
Tower was officially opened by Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohammad in the 11th February 2003.

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Hijjas Kasturi Associates (HKAS) was founded in 1977 by Hijjas
bin Kasturi, the father of Malaysian architecture of the second
half of the twentieth century.
Since then, Malaysia’s construction industry has witness
dramatic changes. The city of Kuala Lumpur has transformed
from a low rise cluster of shophouses with a few institutional
buildings, punctuated by Bangkok Bank and the AIA, into a city
with countless buildings of every description and the world's
tallest twin towers.
The early post-colonial period was characterized by strong nationalism and a desire to
express this architecturally. HKAS deliberately developed designs that reconciled
contemporary space and function with a modern aesthetic quality in relation to the forms
and images of the past. This approach became a viable alternative to the popular International
Style.
Over a period of almost 30 years, there have been many constants in the practice of
HKAS. But perhaps the most significant one has been its ability to consistently reinvent itself.
This is perhaps even more difficult for a practice which primarily designs commercial and
institutional buildings for which functionality, conservatism and the bottom line are the usual
priorities.
HKAS, however is distinctive for the freshness and inventiveness it brings to each
successive building. Each of the HKAS buildings has its own character. Each tells a story and
each seems to deal with the materials in an imaginative way, testing structural limits, playing
with functional potential and exploring aesthetic possibilities. And they all unfailingly and
individually address their urban context.

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BUILDING ACCESSIBILITY
Situated a few kilometres from the Petronas Towers, is the idealistic location of
Telekom Tower with a site of 3.07 hectares. The south frontage of 338 metres faces onto the
Federal Highway with immediate access to the Kerinchi overpass. The Northern boundary of
the site is the Pantai River which allows a large border north of the site's building line for a
suitable setback and impressive landscaping potential, just like the southern boundary on the
Federal Highway.
The mass rapid transit systems which are to follow the spine of the Federal Highway
has been also taken into consideration during the building planning. The Kerinchi LRT Station

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is linked to the site with a pedestrian bridge which is within the neighboring development on
the eastern side.
Access to the building has been planned to ensure smooth anti clockwise vehicular
traffic to and from the site. Entry and exit to the site are at the north east and north west
from Pantai Baru Road. Traffic is estimated to disperse quickly due to various optional
destinations plus the two levels of drop-off which is covered and has immediate access to a
secure executive lounge. The parking lot in the New Headquarters alone can accommodate
1700 cars which is more than enough for staffs. Besides that an independent service and
loading bay is located at north-eastern edge of site below the Podium. The LRT station also
helps in reducing traffic by providing access to and from KL Central plus numerous other areas.

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Relationship of Building to Surroundings
The site of the Telekom Tower is with a south facing the Federal Highway and the
Pantai river as the boundary on the north. The north site’s building line is made into a suitable
set back with impressive landscaping, as so does the southern boundary on the Federal
Highway. Surrounding the Telekom Tower are mostly high rise residential apartments and
commercial blocks. There is also the Pantai Police station located right behind the building,
assuring maximum security to the tower.
From a distance, the Telekom Tower stands out in terms of its height and style. The
building seems to be the tallest within the area and in contrast with all the other buildings. It
is also unique in terms of its curving architecture style comparing to the basic blockish
buildings around it.

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Responding to the Climate
The linear shape of the site plan means that there are relatively narrow eastern and
western frontages, an ideal condition for tropical structures in that the orientation minimizes
the building’s direct exposure to sunlight on its facades, thus reducing solar-gain and
minimizing air-conditioning loads while allowing for a high proportion of natural daylighting.
Extensive landscaping is done around the site to create an inviting and accessible base
for the building mass. Over 20% of the site area is landscape using trees, shrubs and plants.
The overall impression will be of a lush green oasis welcoming the employee and visitor alike.

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ARCHITECTURE LAYOUT

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PLAN TO SECTION AND ELEVATION
Diagram shows the floor plans of the Telekom Tower
The new headquarters building was inspired by combination of technological needs
and high tech nature of Telekom Malaysia with a functional yet organic workplace. The shape
of the Tower was influenced by a sketch named "Pucuk Rebong" by Latiff Mohidin, a
Malaysian sculptor and painter. It’s a symbolism of a new sprout of bamboo shooting up from
the Earth, with solid roots to anchor it and the beauty of an unfurling leaf.
Offices are the main spaces, located on the southern and northern sides linearly with
central cores linking them in the middle. On the eastern and western sides are the sky gardens
that provide ample supply of fresh air to localized air conditioners. The stale air from these
air conditioners are then expelled through the external facade. The building is orientated in
such way that the sun rise from the east is viewable from the south eastern sky garden
whereas the sunset can be viewed from the north western sky garden.

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Office is the space in which the whole building revolves around. To increase workers
performance and creativity, careful planning of the environment has been done to create a
comfortable space for them. The lower office have the largest floor areas and area column
free spaces with raised access floors. Sophisticated pre-wiring systems allow for maximum
flexibility in the office layout planning. These office spaces are granted with generous amount
of natural daylight and have underfloor air-conditioning plus maximum fresh air that provides
a healthy and airy environment. Recess windows with unobstructive external louvres carefully
positioned to North and South elevations naturally reduce much of the heat gain while
providing maintenance walkway for cleaning the glass and louvres. As the Tower rises and
tapers up, the size of the floor plates decrease offering a variety of floor planning options,
whilst maintaining a high degree of flexible and comfortable space.

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To provide a leisure area for workers, sky gardens have been interspersed through
every 3 floors. These are large open air terraced gardens scaling the heights of the tower.
These gardens also act a living filters of heat, light and noise. These sky garden create a sense
of a series of low rise neighborhood stacked vertically.

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CIRCULATION TO USE-SPACE
Circulation in the Telekom Tower is carefully thought of to accommodate the busy office
environment. Unique circulation solutions have been applied throughout to aid users to move
from space to space while being able to interact with the environment.

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1. When approaching the building, one would be greeted by an automatic sliding door
with two glass doors on each side. This is the mean entrance to the building that lets
user into the interior. Once one steps through the doors, a large brightly lit area is
unearthed. An elliptical entry lobby leads down to a loft lobby and shops.
2. Double escalators going one floor down brings users to the lower ground where the
user can access the double decker lifts that bring them up to odd numbered floors.
3. To go up one floor, a spiral staircase provides easy access for users.
4. The core of the building which is the lift lobby is where the double decker lifts picks
and drops users. The Telekom tower is one of the earliest structures to use the 6 star
double-decker lift vertical transportation systems. This system significantly increases
the passenger capacity and reduces the time taken for traveling up. Also, one has to
take a floor specified lift to reach their destination. The whole building has 18 double
decker lifts divided between three zones each with specified locations.

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The image below shows the circulation path throughout the building.
.

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ORGANIZATION ANALYSIS
Natural Light
The Telekom Tower's façade boasts
reflective glass that not only gives the building a
shiny appearance but also allows natural
daylight in. Every floor in the building receives
plenty of light to illuminate the work space. The
natural lighting plays an important role in
making the structure environmentally friendly
and to provide a healthy work surrounding for
the staff.

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Unit to Whole
The tower is made
up of a few units put
together to form a
dynamic structure which
is comprised of its central
core where the lifts are
located. On the top of this
central core is a helipad.
Enveloping on the
northern and southern
sides are the office units
that are then covered by
its façade. On the eastern
and western sides are the
sky gardens. Together,
these separate units make
a functional structure that
corresponds to each other
to create the use spaces
meant for the workers.

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Repetitive to Unique
The tower's façade shows
the repetitive pattern of the
horizontally stacked floors. Even
in repetitive motion, the structure
tapers upwards and the floor size
diminishes.
The sky gardens interspersed through the scales
of the building break the repetitions of the floors but
create their own repetitions.

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Hierarchy
Hierarchy in the design of the building is seen with its diminishing floor size as it goes
upwards. The lower floors are wider and is occupied by more people as it is more open and
public. However, the spatial planning is more complex to accommodate more people. The
upper floors are however, more private, simple and closed to suit an individual group that are
most probably the higher ups in the company.

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ARCHITECTURE STYLE

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The Modernistic style used in Kuala Lumpur only began to appear in the 1990’s and
2000’s. It is also most specifically; Late Modernism and Post Modernism. The sudden growth
of the modernistic elements were brought up as a response to the economic and financial
independence of the country. Skyscrapers, high-rise and looming structures with all glass
exteriors began to emerge throughout the city. Many buildings soon followed in suit of
modernism, some of them still retaining inspiration and influences from other aspects of the
country as well. An excellent example is the topic of our study – the Telekom Tower
(otherwise known as Menara Telekom).
Above are examples of Modern Architecture in various locales of Malaysia. ( left to right: Petronas Twin Towers,
POD Pavilion, Putra Sains Centre, Telekom Tower)

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So what exactly makes the Telekom Tower
‘modern’? The term itself is so broadly used
in order to categorise such a wide array of
subjects in the 21st century that it can be
considered vague – especially in architecture. In order to fully explain the characteristics and
dictate which features this skyscraper has that contributes to its style, one would first have
to understand the properties that are considered ‘modern’ – starting with its symbolism and
form.
Looking back into the start of the modern movement in architecture, one identifiable
certainty is that many building forms started to change from the ‘functional design’ to
‘symbolic design’. The term ‘symbolic architecture was coined during the start of the modern
era, in the late 1980’s, by Charles Jencks in order to describe architecture with a very strong
degree of personification. This meant that architecture started to take inspiration in terms of
its form and design from objects that were very real in the world, instead of designing spaces
that were used purely based on function, with its form being shaped by its spatial
requirements alone. This style of architecture was only made possible during the modern era,
because of all of the advantages that came with the growth of technology. It is also a style
specifically in ‘Modern Architecture’ that is clearly reflected in Telekom Tower – which
personifies the form of a bamboo shoot.
The Telekom Tower at dusk, on the left, and the
inspiration of its form; the bamboo shoot, on the
right.

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Telekom Tower was one of the first emerging buildings that helped solidify the
architectural movement of modernism in Malaysia. The skyscraper serves as an emblem with
its dynamic, thrusting form in order to convey modernity with a cultural touch. Hijjas Kasturi
sought to represent the change in the community with a statement that is now used in order
to describe the intention behind the architectural style of Telekom Tower. This statement is:
“The [Menara Telekom], with its highly modern, highly dynamic, intelligent and sculptural
form delivers a single, decisive image of the corporate values of Telekom Malaysia. Much has
been made of the building delivering its form from the ‘pucuk rebung’ or bamboo shoot,
inspired by the Pago-Pago, a series of paintings by Malaysian artist Latiff Mohidin.”
From the initial statement and it’s
endearing term: “Bamboo Tower”, there is an
obvious relation between the design of the
skyscraper and the bamboo shoot. The tower
itself was modelled in order to convey a young
bamboo shoot, which is an Asian emblem, with
strong foundations at its base, sprouting and
unfurling small leaves at the top, as if it were
“anxious to reach the light”. This prime
concept, although organic in idea, was
intentional in order to merge with its modern
aspects and successfully carry out the goals of
the project requirements. Its form was also
hinted to carry the Malaysian identity in
building forms, despite it being categorised as
‘modern’, and the resulting building from this
intention was only made possible by the capabilities and advantages of modernism; with the
two curving forms that torsion around a central shaft, whereby the floor plates would
intersect one another with the building tapering towards its crest at the 77th floor. The floor
levels that helix as the building increases in height, is meant to convey the shaft of the shoot
as it grows, whereby the core (services) is the heart of the bamboo shoot itself.

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However, even though the form of the Telekom Tower is clearly ‘modern’, it is not
easy to forget that the design of this structure has been adapted to accommodate for
Malaysian climate. This is better explained in the analytical study of the building layout in this
report, but should be noted that considerations for ventilations, sunlight permeability, wind,
access and other forms of weather affects have been deliberated to the design.
As the skyscraper is also of such a tremendous magnitude, it is also clear that certain
parts of its design were made only possible through the calculation and precision of
computers. The
repetitive elements of
the building had to be
consistently and
accurately generated in
order to produce each
of the parts without the
errors that would have
occurred with a human
mind. This can be
clearly seen in the production of the floor plates and the exterior curtain wall – which would
have to be calculated in correspondence to the dimensions of the floor plates. As each level
rises in height, the dimensions would have varied albeit slightly. By using a computer software,
the calculations would have been easier to generate compared to doing so manually.
Implementation of modern technology – both in the technological side and in the
building industry also justify the architectural style of the Telekom Tower as 'Modern'. The
building industry gained many advantages with the sudden influx of modern technology from
matters such as: the discovery of new materials, new construction methods and new
knowledge. Alongside the methods of the past, a combination of both the new and the old
allowed modern architecture to flourish with great success; aided by things such as
(reinforced) concrete, casting and claddings.
The first material that played a major role in the form of the Telekom Tower is one
that is used very commonly in the building industry now. This material is concrete. By then,
concrete was an extremely popular building material as it allowed design forms to be made

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and casted without the problem of it being structurally unstable. The floor plates and
structure of the Telekom Tower itself is made out of concrete, shaped to bend at a certain
degree as it wraps around the core of the building. Another material that was relatively new
during its time was the use of curtain walling and glass cladding. Whilst glass was not
considered a new material during its time, the use of glass cladding as an exterior skin (curtain
wall) was uncommon and made new once again, by the advantages of new construction
methods.
One part of the Telekom Tower that was considered both unusual but modern is the
overhanging sky gardens. These sky gardens are levelled out throughout the tower at 3-storey
intervals, on both ends of the skyscraper, in pockets between the spaces of the twining floor
plates. Overhanging gardens were not uncommon during its time, but with the spiking
population of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, many architects sought to implement
nature back into the massive man-made structures in an otherwise concrete jungle. According
to Hijjas Kasturi, the key idea of including the sky gardens was that by including the large
open-air terraced gardens, the development would be able to embody ‘environmentally
sensitive architecture’ and ‘soften the tower’s external façade while serving as living filters of
heat, light and sound for the inhabitants’. These alternating gardens challenge the social norm,
Above: the 'Sky Garden' that intersperse every three stories of the Telekom Tower.

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whereby office workers would escape to the Ground level for reprieve, but by adding the sky
garden, it creates the sense of a series of low-rise neighbourhoods that are stacked vertically.
Building on top of
the idea of the sky garden is
the material that was used
to structurally support the
green pockets. That
material is the steel
girdles/trusses. Steel is a
material that was
discovered before the
modern era, but is used
commonly because of its strength and structural stability without being overbearingly heavy.
As the sky gardens scale the building every three stories, these elevated green pockets
needed to be supported without the weight disadvantage – otherwise known as dead weight.
If concrete had been used, there would be too much dead weight and the sky garden would
not have been possible, therefore, steel trusses (spanning up to 33 metres) were used.
Other spaces were also included to accommodate for its large number of inhabitants,
something that was required for such a large, national corporation. Structures that cater for
such large magnitudes of occupants typically have so many facilities, and along with the
advances made by technology, these kinds of spaces were only present in modern
architecture as it is often available to such large corporations to build.
Aside from the materials and spaces that Telekom Tower has, the use of modern
technology plays a big role in considering this building as modern. Many different uses of
mechanics and electronics have been used in the skyscraper. Elevators/lifts are used in the
central core of the building, making it possible to build a structure of 77 stories – something
that would have been considered unfeasible prior to the modern era because of human
disability. A sprinkler system and a fire brigade were also used, along with other safety
considerations. Without such systems, it would have been unsafe to inhabit the tower as
safety precautions would not have been met – as stated in the Uniform Building By Law (UBBL)
Act of 1984.

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Another example of how the Telekom Tower can be considered modern is the
considerations that have been added to cater for human comforts – such as air-conditioning,
proper ventilations, lighting and other electrical circuits. Adding along the characteristics
made possible by technology, the Telekom Tower is considered an “intelligent building” – a
feature that awarded itself with a six star rating from DBKL. Back when it was first being
constructed, the objective of adding these “intelligent features” were to ‘provide a complex
interweaving of systems and facilities that interact with each other and the user’. By achieving
this, the Telekom Tower sought to ‘become more of a mix of computerized machines, and an
exciting environment which functions efficiently, economically with maximum flexibility’.
These smart features include: state of the art building management systems,
Telecommunications systems, advanced automation systems, high-level security
management systems, energy efficient systems, effective mechanical systems and other
amenities designed to enhance productivity.
To summarise, at first glance, the Telekom Tower is a clear example of modern
architecture. Designed to represent the Asian heritage of the nation with the personification
of a bamboo shoot in its form and embody the company of Telekom (TM), this skyscraper is
a distinguishable and important part of the Modern Malaysian Skyline. Contributing
characteristics, such as building material, form, technological and mechanical implementation,
facilities and other features - although not part of the actual design of the building - all make
up the reason as to why the Telekom Tower is a prime example of ‘Modern Malaysian
Architecture’.

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BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, STRUCTURE & MATERIALS

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BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND STRUCTURE
The Menara Telekom was designed by Hijjas Kasturi Associates, with the intention of
ensuring minimal environmental impact and equipped with innovative technologies such as
flexible and environmentally-friendly air conditioning system under-floor Hiross Flexible
Space System, that reflects as an “ Intelligent Building “.
As the intention of the designers was to create a concrete example of “intelligent
architecture”, the building is designed to be in harmony with the natural environment, which
links to continution of HKAS’ interest in curved forms as a means of achieving greater
expression. Given the height of the building, this was only made possible with the mix of
materials.
Floors and vertical elements were made of high strength, prestressed concrete, while
steel was used as the skeleton of the antenna tower, helipad and long-spanning trusses of the
sky garden.
As Menara Telekom was a transition point for HKAS, it initiated a new phase of
development which can be viewed either as a more radical exploration of ideas already
inherent with the work of the practice or as the arrival of a completely new approach. It

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signalled an interest in a new diversity of materials which in inself implies new formal
impression as the potential of those materials is explored. The diagram below shows the
different elements of the tower and ther structural relationship.

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Façade and Louvered Windows
The façade of the Menara Telekom is banded by louverd windows that enclosed and protect
maintenance catwalks.

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Sky Garden and Bowstring Truss
The east and west elevation which
receive the most sun are shaded by sky
gardens, which also served as open public
spaces. The gardens give the users of the
building the convenient opportunity to go
outside the building, providing a retreat
that is closer than the busy ground floor
lobby.
By bridging between the floors and the core on every third level, every floor is no more
than one level away from an open space, which varies in size from over 600 square metres at
the lowest garden to just 140 square metres at the highest. Creation of neighbourhoods
within the building that would humanise the working environment within large structures was
the solution during the development of the design.

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Diagram shows the
walkway between the office
wings showing the structure of
the sky gardens outside. The
structure used to support the
sky gardens are bowstring
trusses that can be seen clearly
under the sky garden itself.
Bowstring truss is a structral roof truss having a bow-shaped top cord and a straight
or cambered bottom cord

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Spider Glass Clamp
With the high amount of tall glass windows used in the building, in order to show a
frameless glass fitting structure in accordance to the aesthetics of the buidling itself, spider
glass clamps are used to secure the fittings together.
As known as the structural fittings-spiders and used in glass wall and canopy openings,
spider point fixings are primarily designed to connect multiple tiers or panels of glass. Spider
fixings are also used in high wind load areas where conventional silicone and glass fin support
are not sufficient to cope with loadings. They are mainly made from quality stainless steel.
The diagram shows the type of spider glass clamp used is four way spider fixing.

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Canopy Entrance
The canopy marks the entrance among the transparent walls at the ground floor. The
structure of the canopy is unlike other typically shaded canopies. Small spaces are voided with
steel plates and glass panels above it. This allows minimal sunlight to penetrate throughout
the entrance as well as doing its job of keeping users out of rain and danger.

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Intelligent Technology
One of the benefits of “intelligent technology” is that the flexibility and ease of
installation of Hiross Flexible Space System helped to streamline the design phase, shortening
considerably the time and, therefore, the construction costs of the air conditioning system.
The air conditioning system under-floor has made possible the creation of a custom
microclimate in the different areas of the building and, through the management of the
thermal control zone, it was possible to determine with accuracy the temperature in each
area dedicated to offices, getting a climatic comfort custom also an area of 130,000 square
metres.

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MATERIALS
As much as the importance of Menara Telekom’s structural features, the materials that were
explored on the interior finishing were well developed in appliance to its modern design.
Lift lobbies and walkways in Menara Telekom
Essential Elements Materials
Lift Lobbies
 Granite floor
 Granite and stainless steel wall
 Metal and plaster board ceiling
Male and Female toilets
 Homogenous floor tiles
 Phenolic wall and WC cubicle
 Water resistance suspended ceiling tiles
Disable + Executive Toilets
 Homogenous wall tiles
 Water resistant suspended ceiling tiles
Party/ Utility / Tea Room
 Homogenous wall tiles and plastered walls
 Suspended ceiling tiles
Office Space
 Carpet tiles on raised floor tiles
 Plasterboard on core wall
 Cement board below window sill
 Sand cement plaster to brick wall

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COMPARING TELEKOM TOWER AND COMMERZBANK TOWER (FRANKFURT, GERMANY)
Menara Telekom and Commerzbank Tower are quite similar in terms of its vertical
skyscraper structure and also mixture of steel and concrete for its façade and structural
construction. With much of their similarities, Commerzbank Tower is known as the world’s
first “ ecological office tower” due to its large sky gardens with a diverse ecological profile
used to provide informal break out spaces with views of the city, as similar as to the sky
gardens build within each interval office floor of Menara Telekom.
Construction Process
As shown as the diagrams above, Commerzbank Tower (left) and Menara Telekom
(right) share the same construction materials which are mixture of steel and concrete. The
only difference is the form of Menara Telekom is more angular and from broader to slimmer
at the top whereas the Commerzbank Tower is a consistent and organized triangular form.

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The sky gardens built in the Commerzbank tower are built in between the intervals of
floors and also the core of the building unlike the sky gardens in Menara Telekom are only
built in certain intervals of the office floors as shown below.

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ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS AND COMPONENTS

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FORM, WALLS AND FAÇADE
The office is separated into the taller North wing and South wing with a helipad on top.
According to the architect, the form of the building is designed after Pucuk Rebung (bamboo
shoot), a new sprout of bamboo shooting up from the earth, with its leaves unfurling one by
one. From the North and South, a full breath of the building can be seen. From the East and
West, the building is considerably slimmer. This gives an interesting change in the vistas of
the building in terms of slimmer or broader, curved or flat, taller or lower.
The façade has an interesting repetitive element of
lines. The lines creates squares and rectangle elements
and synchronizes with the window louvers throughout the
whole building. This repetitive element stretches from the
ground floor all the way to the top. The main material for
the façade is metal panels which reflects on coming light
and creates an eye catching form. On the first few floors,
most of the walls are made up of glass panels while
maintaining some of the repetitive element. This allows
excellent fenestration in the interior.

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Since the interior is well lit by the natural sunlight, the internal ceiling uses low
lightings while reiterating the style of the façade. Walkways between the two office wings
are also properly lit with the natural lighting while providing strong visual interest along the
way.

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Windows and Louvers
Glass panels are used for the windows throughout the
entire building. On the North and South elevations, external
louvers are carefully positioned as part of the façade. The
orientation of the louvered windows reduce the amount of
heat gain on the North and South elevation which are mostly
exposed to the sunlight. It also provides easy maintenance
for the cleaning of the glass windows and louvers. The glass
panels are higher than the average height which creates
taller, brighter and lighter interiors. The louvers creates an
exit for the ventilation within by redirecting the foul air into
the exterior.

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Roofing
Metal slat canopies are used to mark the
entrance of the building among the transparent walls.
The metal slat provides some shade and lighting
under it. It is rainproof as it has a glass panel over it.
Because of the building’s upward spiral body,
water droplets from rain can easily flow down along
the curving façade. On the East and West side, the sky
gardens are exposed to the external environment.
However, each sky garden is used as the roofing for
the sky garden below it. Thus, the sky garden is
shaded during drizzle but might not be during rain
storm.

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Office
The office is the essential element of the
space that the whole building revolves around.
With careful planning of the environment,
services and structures, the spaces within the
building maximize the office workers efficiency
and creativity. As the tower rises and taper up,
the size of the floor plan decreases. Thus, the
lower office have large floor areas allowing
maximum flexible planning of the office layouts,
while the higher offices have smaller floor with
sufficient areas. This offer a variety of floor
planning options, whilst maintaining a high
degree of flexible and comfortable space.

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Lifts
The building uses double-storey lifts to
take as many people as possible at one go. To
move to an even number floor, the user will
have to take the lift from the ground floor. To
move to an odd number floor, the user will have
to take the lift from the lower lobby. There are
a total of 18 double decker lifts which is
separated into 3 zones. Staircases and
escalators are provided for the users to move
between each floor.

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Sky Garden
One of the significant components about the Telekom
Tower is the open sky garden. The sky gardens are large open
air terrace gardens on the Eastern and Western façade. The
idea of the sky gardens are responding to the environmentally
sensitive architecture of the building, a series of low rise
neighborhood are stacked vertically, scaling the heights of the
tower. There is a total of 22 sky garden 11 on each side, and
can be found on every third level. Thus, every floor is no more
than one level away from an open space. The size of the sky
gardens ranging from 600 metres square from the lowest to
140 metres square on the highest.
The sky gardens serves a few
purposes. Firstly, the position of the sky
garden is to provide natural shade on the
Eastern and Western façade of the
building. The West elevation sky gardens
protect the building from afternoon heat
gain while the East elevation sky gardens
protect the building from the morning sun. It softens the tower’s external façade and serve
as living filters of heat, light, and noise for the workers within. The sky garden also creates a
neighborhood within the building that would humanize the working environment. It provides
a retreat that is closer and convenient to go outside of the building. These accessible external
spaces are suitable for relaxation, meet up, discussion, as well as to combat the day to day
stress in this highly technological corporation.

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Ventilation
Telekom Tower has proper ventilation with creates a healthy environment within. The
sky garden provides fresh air from the external environment into the localize air condition
unit. The fresh air is then channel into the office through the underfloor air conditioning
system. Foul air then rises to the chamber in the ceiling and is channeled and expelled through
the louvers at the external façade to the external environment. This cycle of air is
environmentally friendly whilst creating a healthy environment for the workers within.

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To conclude, the Telekom Tower is an important example of modern architecture in
Malaysia. It embodies the heritage of the Asian culture, responding to the climatic behavior,
represents the corporate identity of Telekom, and clearly dictates the start of the modern era
in Malaysia.
From our entire study during this report, one thing that is made clear is that to
categorize the Telekom Tower as a ‘modern structure’ is to look into every aspect of the
structure – from the era of which it built, to the technology used in order to make the form
possible and the material choices that successfully fit with the design.

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References
1. Abel, C. (1997). Architecture and identity: Towards a global eco-culture. Oxford
England: Architectural Press.
2. ArchNet. (n.d.). Telekom Malaysia Berhad New Headquaters. [online] Available at:
<http://archnet.org/sites/5134/media_contents/48367> [Accessed 14 November
2015].
3. Behance. (n.d.). Menara Telekom Tower. [online] Available at:
<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&
uact=8&ved=0CDIQFjACahUKEwijyrnPmpfJAhUVU44KHYZ8Bzk&url=https://www.be
hance.net/gallery/21057909/Menara-Telekom-Tower-3D-
Modeling&usg=AFQjCNFsDFWPhLGwn37TwOroca_41qyFyw&si> [Accessed 8
November 2015]
4. Chapter 3. (2009). In Thoughts on the theory and language of architecture: Lecture
series part 1, Ar. Hijjas Kasturi. Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur: International Islamic
University Malaysia, Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environment Design.
5. Hijjas Kasturi Associates Sdn. (n.d.). Philosophy. [online] Available at: <
http://www.hijjaskasturi.com/hkas_loader.html> [Accessed 16 November 2015].
6. Info Build Engergia. (n.d.). Menara Telekom Tower. [online] Available at:
<http://www.infobuild.it/progetti/menara-telekom-tower/> [Accessed 11 November
2015].
7. Malaysia Design Archive. (n.d.). An Influence of Architecture to Building Styles and
Motifs. [online] Available at:
<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&
uact=8&ved=0CDYQFjAGahUKEwj-
39XOm5fJAhVKkY4KHaicAV4&url=http://www.malaysiadesignarchive.org/an-
influence-of-colonial-architecture-to-building-styles-and-motifs-in-colonial-ci>
[Accessed 8 November 2015]
8. McGillick, P. (2006). Concrete Metal Glass - Hijjas Kasturi Associates. Kuala Lumpur:
Editions Didier Millet Sdn. Bhd.

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9. Oswald, A., & Eickhoff, H. (2013). Offices construction and design manual. Berlin: DOM.
10. Skyscrapers. (2001). New York: Black Dog & Leventhal
11. The Skyscraper Center. (n.d.). Menara Telekom. [online] Available at:
<http://skyscrapercenter.com/building/menara-telekom/453> [Accessed 11
November 2015].
12. Uffelen, C. (2007). Chapter 7. In Offices. Berlin: Braun.
13. Zukowsky, J. (2000). Chapter 4. In Skyscrapers: The New Millennium. München: Prestel.

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