Komtar

Tun Abdul Razak Complex
Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Malay) 光大大厦 (Chinese) கொம்டார் கோபுரம் (Tamil)
Komtar Tower in 2024.
Record height
Tallest in Southeast Asia from 1 January 1985 to 10 November 1986[I]
Preceded by	6 Shenton Way
Surpassed by	One Raffles Place
General information
Architectural style	Modernism
Location	Penang Road, George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Coordinates	5°24′52″N 100°19′45″E / 5.4145°N 100.3292°E / 5.4145; 100.3292
Groundbreaking	1 January 1974
Construction started	Phase 1: 1 January 1974 Phase 2: January 1983 Phase 3: October 2007 Phase 4: 1996 Phase 5: 2017
Topped-out	Tower: 1 January 1985
Completed	Phase 1: October 1976 Phase 2: November 1985 Phase 3: June 2010 Phase 4: 2000 Phase 5: 2019
Opening	Phase 1: 2 December 1976 Phase 2: 2 April 1986 Phase 3: 25 November 2010 Phase 4: 2001 Phase 5: 9 November 2019
Inaugurated	1 January 1977; 47 years ago (1 January 1977)
Cost	RM808.6 million[a]
Owner	Penang state government
Other information Height Roof 248.9 metres (817 ft)[c] Technical details Floor count Tower: 68 floors[b] Phase 2: 17 floors Phase 3: 6 floors Phase 4: 10 floors Floor area Tower: 640,000 sq ft (59,000 m2) Phase 1: 460,000 sq ft (43,000 m2) Phase 2: 2,000,000 sq ft (190,000 m2) Phase 3: 1,500,000 sq ft (140,000 m2) Phase 4: 430,000 sq ft (40,000 m2) Lifts/elevators Tower: 26
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Lim Chong Keat Architects Team 3
Developer	Penang Development Corporation
Structural engineer	Ove Arup & Partners
References
I. ^ [1][2][3][4]

The Tun Abdul Razak Complex (abbrev. Komtar) is a civic complex of five buildings within the central business district of George Town, Penang. It first opened on 2 December 1976. At the time of its completion in 1985, the central skyscraper of the complex, Komtar Tower, at 231.7 metres (760 ft), was the tallest skyscraper in Southeast Asia. The complex contains 1,420,000 square feet (132,000 m²) of office and retail space on a 27-acre (11 ha) superblock. It is a major bus terminal for Rapid Penang, and the seat of the Penang state government and the chief minister of Penang.^[5][6]

The modernist complex was built between 1974 and 1986 at an initial cost of RM279.5 million (equivalent to RM642.5 million in 2023). The complex was proposed by chief minister Lim Chong Eu in 1969, while his brother Chong Keat designed the complex.^[7] It was planned to be built in five phases, although only two were completed in their original form. The remaining three phases were repurposed as Prangin Mall, 1st Avenue, and the Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park and were built between 1996 and 2019. Renovations in 2015 extended the height of Komtar Tower to 249 metres (817 ft).^[8]

Described as a "city within a city", the design of the complex was radical and utopian for its time, and was the largest urban regeneration project in Malaysian history.^[9] However, it ultimately failed to achieve its objective of rejuvenating George Town's city centre.^[10] The construction of the complex was also criticised for demolishing a portion of the city's heritage quarters which displaced thousands of residents.^[11] Starting from the late-1990s, the complex was neglected due to insufficient maintenance.^[12] Despite these circumstances, Komtar is Penang's most famous landmark and is seen as a symbol of the state's post-industrialisation prosperity.^[13]

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