Fell In Love With The Twins...Thanks To Paris & Hollywood!

Yes, thanks to Paris & Hollywood, I finally did 'fell in love' with the PETRONAS Twin Towers! Well... sort of. I am actually very passionate about anything & everything related to mega, tall super structures.
 
Indeed, the very first time I saw a 'super tall structure' was actually in a Bollywood movie! That structure was none other than the famous Eiffel Tower and the film was a Bollywood classic called 'An Evening In Paris'!

The movie managed to capture beauty and grandness of Eiffel Tower in the most captivating and memorable manners ever... well at least that how I felt back then.




So, obviously, when I had a chance to visit Paris many, many years later after that 'inspiring' moments of watching the Bollywood flick, I made a point to step on to the tower and experience the 'magic' myself.

Well... it is not that wrong to say that a Bollywood blockbuster of the 60's 'sparked' my interest in tall, mega structures and my fascination with their great heights... and thus finally led me to fall 'head over heel' with the PETRONAS Twin Towers!

eSa @ Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck

My fascination with tall buildings was then brought further to 'another higher level' when I watched a Hollywood super-duper box office movie, 'The Towering Inferno' back in the 70s. It was about a very, very tall building in San Francisco, America which had been caught by fire. After watching the movie (despite some quite gruesome scenes, which now when I think about it, surprisingly resembled footages of the 9/11 event... especially the part when trapped occupants jumped off the building!), my fascination with 'anything tall & mega' had somehow reached to an 'obsession' level!

Thus, when I went to the US in the 80s, I made a promise to myself that somehow, someway I would find a way to go to the highest floor of the tallest building on this planet (at that time).

Yes... the building I had on my mind then was none other than the Sears Tower (now renamed as Willis Tower) in Chicago. Crowned as the Tallest Building in the World in 1973, it remained at the 'top of the chart' until 1998. That was when the PETRONAS Twin Towers officially took over the reigning spot of Sears Tower and declared as THE world's tallest building(s)! And yes. I did find my way:)

 eSa @ Sears Tower Viewing Deck

Sometime back in the 90s, I was very extremely excited when I came to know that Malaysia was building its very own super tall structure...the PETRONAS Twin Towers! Whoa! A skyscraper located right in my backyard? And it was later revealed that the said building was not only to become a very tall mega structure but indeed the tallest of all skycrapers on this planet! I was overwhelmed.

I have now come to realise that my fascination with tall, mega towers, especially my country's own PETRONAS Twin Towers, has indeed begun a long, long time ago. Indeed, it all started at the very moment when I first saw Eiffel Tower in that old Bollywood classic 'An Evening In Paris'...

Now... think of your own passion. Anything that you are really passionate or crazy about. Can you think of any moment... the moment... which might had started it all...?  

 

eSa @ Louvre Pyramid, PARIS.

eSa @ Arch de Triumphe, PARIS

eSa @ Field Museum of Natural History, CHICAGO

Fascinating FENG SHUI of PETRONAS Twin Towers

True, PETRONAS Twin Towers are loaded with designs and patterns based on Islamic motives and themes but it is also interesting to note that, as claimed by some keen observers, they too 'project' fascinating symbols and metaphors related to Feng Shui philosophy.

Now, briefly, Feng Shui is actually a 'skill' of studying the Qi (energy) flow in the environment. This same 'Qi' is also known as 'life force' or 'ki' or 'prana' prevalent in Asiatic medicine and martial arts. So in short, by design, a Feng Shui creation is created to inspire senses of connectedness to something beyond physical presence.

So what does Feng Shui, a more than 3,000 year old Chinese art, has anything to do with the Twins? Well... lets have a look at some fascinating 'Feng Shui facts' related to the PETRONAS Twin Towers...



1) Wood & Fire
The shape of the Twins can be considered as belonging to a combination of wood-fire elements. That is, 'wood' for its tall shape & twin forms and 'fire' for its pointed shape at the top. So, from Feng Shui point of view, the 'wood' building is like a tree with its root crushing into earth and thus creating wealth. Hence, the Twins is said to bring prosperity to the environment.

2) The Great 8
In Feng Shui, number 8 is deemed as a number of initiations and spiritual ascension. 8 represents the forces within the world of phenomenon. Simply put, number 8 has that 'anything is possible' feel to it. If a single 8 is described as such, what would then be the impact of a 'twin' 8? Yes... I'm referring to the well known fact of the total number of floors in the Twins... 88! Also, in Chinese, if you say the number 8 ('patt') it actually sounds like the word 'faat' which means prosperity & abundance.

3)The Breath of The Dragon
Mountain range is often described as 'dragon' in Feng Shui terms. Malaysia has 8 (there you go again...the great 8!) mountain ranges descending from no other than the mighty Himalayas itself! And the Twins is located in a valley (Klang Valley - Kuala Lumpur) which is 'embraced' by the 2 'arms' of the 'dragon' known as Titiwangsa Range. It is also said that the PETRONAS Twin Towers has successfully 'dotted the eyes' of this 'Malaysian Green Dragon'. Simply, it means that the Twins has benefitted greatly from the tapping of good 'Qi' that flows down from the 'dragon'.

4)Mirror Mirror On The Wall
Mirror is a powerful Feng Shui tool. This is due to its reflective quality which in turn has the effect of sending the 'killing breath' or 'bad Feng Shui' or simply called 'sarchi' back to where it comes from. Some sort of 'anti virus' if you like:) So, without getting into details, the Twins are cladded with thousands and thousands pieces of glasses which in turn also act as mirrors. And the result? I leave it to your own imagination...




5)The Opening
Located opposite the Twins is the beautiful serene looking KLCC park. Coincidence? I bet not. Truth is... a field or a park is an excellent Feng Shui element. The wide open space provided by the park allows great opportunity in 'settling' and 'gathering' the good 'Qi' before it enters the building (the Twins).

6) Water Water Everywhere

The fountains & pools located around the PETRONAS Twin Towers actually served practical functions in Feng Shui philosophy. The bodies of stagnant water (pools) are said to be able to collect and accumulate 'Qi'. While the flowing water elements (fountains) placed at strategic spots are believed to generate positive inward flow of 'Qi' (into the building and its occupants).

So... I kind of agree with some observers who claim that the PETRONAS Twin Towers was actually designed according to some Feng Shui principles. It didnt surprise me really because I understand the need and consideration in optimising wealth and luck when building structures as magnificent as the Twins. The thing is... I believe that if we were to cut out all those 'mumbo-jumbo-mystical talk' related to Feng Shui, the art of Feng Shui really is an art of the skill of appreciation! That is... a practise of tapping into the good, positive energy of the earth!

GONG XI FA CAI! HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

The Twins As The Tallest Christmas Tree...Ever?

PETRONAS Twin Towers as the 'tallest Christmas tree', ever? Well... that's how I see it at the moment anyway. You may not agree with me and that's understood.
Truth is, these magnificent tall structures are regarded as many different 'things' by many, many different people. Some say they resemble wedding cakes (yeah... you read that right) while some even see them as the 'horns' of a mythical dragon!

To my eyes though, at the moment they look more like the tallest artificial Christmas trees ever erected by men. Indeed, Malaysia should not bother to break any kind of world record related to Christmas event... the biggest, tallest and greatest man-made christmas tree is indeed to be found in this country! And... not contend with having just one 'tree'... Malaysia had indeed built a pair of them!

Talking about world record-breaking attempts related to ... well... Christmas trees... on the left is a photo of the 'official' record of the world's tallest artificial Christmas tree according to the Guinesse Book of Record. This 112 meter/295 feet tall structure is made entirely of steel wire. It is 114 feet wide and weighs approximately 330 tons. This world record Christmas tree is located at the Reforma Avenue in Mexico City.

As for the biggest man-made Christmas tree world record...
Rio de Janeiro has managed to claim the title by erecting a 85m tall floating Christmas tree (photo on the right and left). It is actually as tall as a 29 story building! It also has 2 million light bulbs, 1,600 flashy lights to evoke twinkling stars and 52km of lighted strands to evoke the Christmas theme. The floating Christmas tree is said to consume about one thousand kilowatts of electricity!



That reminds me (the usage of electricity and eventually the high cost of lighting up these record-breaking fake Christmas trees) of an article I read recently. It is about the most expensive Christmas tree ever built.


This small decorative tree is made purely of 24k gold! On top of that it is also decorated with more than 240 jewels, including diamonds and strings of pearls! The tree weighs 21 kg and is priced at 1 million pound! This extremely expensive tree is being displayed at a prominent jewelery shop in Osaka, Japan.

Now... come to think of it... has there been any record broken for the title of tallest or biggest real Christmas tree ever? I'm not very sure about that... but I had come across an article about an attempt made by Australia back in 1999. They had chosen a 80 meter /262 feet tree found in Maydena, Hobart on the Tasmanian island. The 'controversial' tree was indeed voted by the Australia's Wilderness Society as 'The Tallest Ever Christmas Tree in the World'! Sadly, the claim was disputed (by the Guiness Book of Record?) and Australia eventually missed the opportunity of claiming that 'prestigious' title. The reason? It was a wrong species of tree! The one in Australia was an eucalyptus tree. The 'real' Christmas tree should be of the 'fir' type....

Then again... for me, for the moment... the tallest, biggest and most fabulous looking man-made Christmas tree in the whole wide world... ever... is none other than the multi-faced PETRONAS Twin Towers!

Merry Christmas to Christian readers

and

A Very Happy New Year to ALL!

The Twins and the Land of 1000 Prayers

Someone told me not so long time ago that the PETRONAS Twin Towers was actually built and placed/aligned in such a way so that they face to the direction of the holy city of Makkah Al-Mukkaramah, or simply known as Makkah.

I believe this is true but I dont really know for sure. Maybe I should ask some officials from KLCC ... they sure can give the right answer.

By the way, I guess it is quite logical to assume that the Twins were actually built to face the said direction. In fact, what would be more compelling and dramatic in putting the whole process of designing the towers (heavily adorned with beautiful Islamic motifs & patterns) to an end but to finally erect them to face the direction of the land of 1000 du'as (prayers) ... the holiest place in Islam... Makkah! Now... that is so, very, very awesome, is that not?



For readers who are not very familiar with Islam teachings, Muslims all over the world perform their 5 times daily prayers facing to the Ka'bah (Islam's holiest shrine) which is located in Makkah. And, if they can afford (physically, mentally & financially) they are also required to pay a visit to this sacred site at least once in their life time. I have attached a Qibla Locator (to locate the direction of Ka'bah in Makkah from anywhere in the world) below... so you might want to try it out and see for yourself the direction of Makkah from the Twin Towers. Just type 'Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC' in the box and click 'Locate'.




It is also interesting to know that the Twins (Petronas Towers) would soon have their very own 'identical twins' built right in the city of Makkah itself! I was also, at first, quite surprised to come upon this piece of info but after seeing the plan of the 'new' Makkah I was totally impressed. It looks truly 'out of this world'! Among numerous mega, tall buildings to be built is a really huge 'eden' comprises of hotel /apartment / shopping mall complex called Abraj Al-Bait. Its really, really HUGE! Don't believe me? See the comparison (with other world-known existing megastructures including PETRONAS Twin Towers) below....




And below here is the 'new' Makkah. This layout plan is one of the many, many plans proposed to the Saudi Arabia government. Whether this particular one below is chosen is yet to be known. Anyway, take note of the identical twins (in orange circle) in the picture... long distance twins of the PETRONAS Twin Towers?

Wishing Muslim readers HAJJ MUBARAK...
a symbol of human ONENESS!

Celebrate the Lights

Petronas Twin Towers... day or night... the sight of these awesome twins would always fascinate me. And I believe that I'm not alone in admiring the beauty of these majestic towers.

At night time, when the towers are beautifully lit up, they are to me somehow, someway represent the largest ever man-made beacons in the Malay Archipelago region. Or... may be in the whole wide world even?

The dramatic night lights of these twin towers surely would never fail to catch my breath away. Of course, the 'drama' played upon by those lights is further enhanced on the eves of festivals and celebration of national events.

I have made some simple researches recently about facts related to those lights of the Twins. Keep on mind that these facts are extracted from different sources on the net. Therefore, I could not really guarantee the authenticity of the data. I guess only KLCC knows the actual statistic & latest updates of these facts....



- the main luminaire on the Twins was a 4X18 watt 16 cell recessed T/Bar Low Bright louvered luminaire compliant to CIBSE LG 3 as a category 2 luminaire, suitable for VDU areas.

Unfortunately I'm not a technical savvy kind of person. So, I honestly don't know what the terms above are referring to. Instead, maybe you could tell me more about them...?

- the quantity of luminaires was 45,000 and all were supplied with electronic ballasts

- indeed, this was THE largest installation of electrone ballasts in the whole wide world!

- the complete electrical wiring system consists of no less than 160km of cables!

- there are more than 100,000 male & female connections

- using the 'Black Boxes' system: all supply lines for power & aircondition arrive in each room under the ceiling in the entrance area and are connnected via a 'Black Box'

- the interior lighting consist of about 60,000 pieces of ECG & more than 240,000 pieces of L18w/840

- the integrated energy-conservation concept of the towers is based on an innovative 'cool-recovery' system: uses heat from exhaust air to power the cooling of outside air as it enters the building. This system reduces the amount of energy required by almost 50%!


It is a fact that the daily cost of any mega-size and super-high building is almost beyond imagination. Whether it is the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai or the Al-Burj in Dubai the cost of maintaining these super-structures is huge. As for the PETRONAS Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, it is claimed (quoted from a source on the net) that it can reach up to US196,000... per day. So... errr... ermmm... let's not waste it away anyway. Together, let us celebrate the lights!

HAPPY DIWALI!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

So much have been said about the unique design of the PETRONAS Twin Towers. Some likened
the shape of the Twins to corns or bamboo shoots, while some even claimed that from afar they actually look like the top part of a dragon's head! Of course, there are also some who have suggested that the Twins actually have so much resemblance to that of the legendary Mughal's Qutub Minar of Delhi, India. Whatever impression these Twins have created upon those who have seen them with their own eyes, almost all have agreed that they are truly such an inspirational sight and cosmopolitan in its look. But, some may have asked, maybe silently to themselves or maybe to others... whether is there any 'meaning' at all in the design of these great towers?



Well, I'm not an expert to answer such 'heavy-duty' kind of questions, but I would love to share with you here a thing or two
that I came to know about the design. And also a bit part...
just a tiny-itsy-bitsy part... of the general interpretation of the design.


Let me start with the 8 point star of the Islamic arabasque design that forms the basic ground plan of the Twins.



The simple geometric square, the basic of Islamic geometry was the
basis on which the base plate was constructed. The 8 point star
effect or shape was then achieved by overlapping and rotating 2 squares (as the floors go higher).


According to Cessar Pelli(the main architect), he put an effort to respond to the climate, to the dominant Islamic culture(of the country), and the sense of form and patterning that he could perceive in traditional Malaysian building.

It is also interesting to note that the project was indeed the brainchild of the former Prime Minister of the country, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. He was actively engaged in all stages of the design process and the final scheme is well-marked by his personal fingerprints. And the result? An aesthetic design which has a feel of both modern and ancient at the same time! Awesome:)


Now... when it comes to the 'meaning' of the design, well, lets step
back in time. Really, really wayyy back to...errr...2000BC? Why should we do that? Well, because in the mid 17th century some explorers had found ancient seals, jewellery(like the rosette in the picture on the left) and metalwork in the ruins of a very ancient city of Ur. And some of the items found had revealed that the 8 point star pattern and design had already been applied and used in those time! And, it was believed that the Prophet Arbaham had actually lived in this very Sumerian city of Ur.


Let us move forward in time now. Just a little bit though. We are now in the middle-ages. By this time, the 8 point star was already widely used as a symbol in Islamic art. The design is generally referred to as 'Khatim' (especially in north Africa... specifically in Morocco) or 'Khatim Sulayman' (Seal of the Phrophets).


The 'Khatim' is indeed at the heart of many Islamic ornamental patterns. And ornamentation is
particularly important in Islam. The religion discourages representional art(human or animal form), therefore Islamic art grew from the study of geometry and the practice of ornamental decoration, as well as the sciences, literature and development of architecture.


The idea in Islamic faith is to seek to understand Creation, not to worship it, but to honor the Creator through the application of understand. Furthermore, the mental discipline, study and restraint required for constructing complex, precise geometric patterns support
the Islamic belief that humans are the greatest of God's creation!


So, in short, the 8 point star design of the Twins is actually a symbol of early astonomy, interconnectedness and faith in the ultimate harmony of Creation. In this way, it represents the highest virtues in Islamic cultures; learning, community, faith and LOVE of BEAUTY...

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... see the beauty of the Twin's star!

Wishing all Malaysians a MEANINGFUL MERDEKA!

For Muslim readers, wishing you 'RAMADHAN AL MUBARAK'!

The twin's green oasis. That's what the beautiful KLCC Park is to me. The park is different from other parks in Kuala Lumpur for many reasons. One obvious reason is definitely related to the Twin Towers itself... it is a beautiful landscaped park which is located in the compound of the tallest twin towers in the world! That reason alone is enough to make the place a very special site indeed.

Talk about being different, KLCC Park also cannot be compared to other world-famous parks such as Central Park in New York or Hyde Park of London. KLCC Park not only provides a recreational avenue for visitors to unwind but also serves to protect flora and fauna in its natural habitat within the city. One could easily spot many different species of birds and insects while enjoying the beauty of the surrounding area in this park.

Indeed, everytime I spend time in this park I always seem to truly enjoy the sight, sound and smell of the place. For me, the place is really awesome. A true 'eden' in the bustling city!

This sprawling 'green lung' of the city was conceptualized by the late Roberto Burle Marx, a world famous landscape artist. KLCC Park's special features include a fountain pool, children playground, wading pool, beautiful sculptures and murals and jogging tracks. And of course... careful chosen trees and shrubs indigenous to Malaysia and the Malay Archipelago region.

The area was actually 'home' to 63 matured threes that thrived there when it was still under the management of the KL Turf Club(previous owner the area). It was very fortunate indeed that these trees were 'shifted' to the park by KLCC when they took over the ownership of the area. THANK YOU so much KLCC for 'thinking green':)

And now, after more than 10 years later, the park is 'home' to more than 1,900 indigenous palm trees from 66 different species! Wow! Impressive, eh? Many visitors are not aware, including locals, that the park also has some local fruit trees! There are 'longan', 'duku', 'jambu', 'rambutan' and mangosteen trees to name a few. So... free 'fruit-party', anyone? Well... don't even try to think about it. The KLCC guards are manning the place 24/7 and they would definitely not very happy upon seeing you climbing the trees or plucking the fruits. Nice thought though...:)

As for muslim visitors, there's a beautiful small 'masjid' (prayer house) located in the park. The 'masjid' is called 'Masjid As-Syakirin' and it features the splendour of exquisite traditional motifs of Islamic heritage. It is truly a beautiful and modern designed building.

There are also many shades and 'wakaf'(rest hut) located in and around the park. These shades and 'wakafs' are beautifully designed and some even built equipped with water coolers!

For me, the park is almost a perfect place for one to unwind and enjoy nature... whether you are on your own, with loved ones or family members. Except for one small matter that seems always to bother me. I dont really know the name of most of those lovely trees and plants/flowers in the park! I am quite sure that the signages (for names of those trees/plants) have already been placed by the management of the park... somewhere, somehow. But I just couldn't find them! It would be really nice if I could find them (the signages) and try to learn by heart all the name of those lovely greens. They are all, after all, the real jewel of this blessed country!