KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- As Kuala Lumpur’s latest statement of elegance and class, Exchange 106, has received its Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC), marking it ready to house the most innovative, discerning and ambitious multinational brands from around the world. As such, Exchange 106 is well on its way to help strengthen Kuala Lumpur’s position as a leading centre for international finance and business by creating a seamless and central business environment for financial services firms, MNCs and supporting ancillary businesses. 

As one of the top ten tallest office buildings in the world , Exchange 106 is set at the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s integrated financial, business, retail and residential development, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX). For over a year now, KL’s skyline has felt the presence of a formidable presence that stands tall at 492m from sea-level ; and with the issuance of the CCC, this iconic centrepiece offers exciting prospects for companies seeking to centralise their key functions in one location while streamlining their global support services to enhance efficiency and productivity 

“By locating here, companies can be closer to an established supply chain and mature workforce. Given the strategic value propositions, we expect many more multinational companies (MNCs) and local conglomerates to seize the opportunity to be part of KL’s new international postcode and increase their competitiveness by setting up their operations in Exchange 106 and TRX,” said Joanne Ang, Head of Leasing of Mulia Property Development Sdn Bhd, owner and developer of Exchange 106. 

The Vision
Exchange 106 is a vision in redefining what the business community should demand when it comes to spaces that inspire them towards greater heights in finance, commerce, and innovation. Ali Moghaddasi is the Chief Development Officer of Mulia Group and the design genius behind Exchange 106. “I am a constant seeker. I look for solutions that lie in the poetry of place, history and regional character in providing environments that reflect the soul and spirit of each community. TRX, the master developer, had lofty ideas for the Financial District. We took into account the strong and distinguished master plan, the overall city framework, the street network and beyond. To emphasize and set the tower apart, we set it on a diagonal axis to the CBD of the master development.” 

The Exchange 106 is envisioned as simple, rational, and timeless. It defines and is inspired by Art Deco in its styling and its architectural statement. It embraces the essence of quality and luxury. The strong and natural marriage between principles of Islamic architecture and Art Deco has been applied to gain a rich expression of strength and stability. 

History
Considering the regionalism, Exchange 106 draws all its beauty from the rich heritage and history of its location. In the early days of Jalan Imbi predating the construction of Jalan Sultan Ismail, the area was dotted with many bungalows that flourished and were collectively a well-known landmark among the KL community known as “Pak Luk Kan” or “106 Bungalows”. 

The bungalows in Pak Luk Kan housed Public service employees from the 1920s all the way into the 1980s and 1990s when ultimately, they made way for first, the Pasar Raya Bukit Bintang, which came to be locally known as the Imbi Market, and the Pasarakyat Bus Terminal, and thereafter, the site of the Tun Razak Exchange. 

Today, Exchange 106 sits in pride of place, dramatic in its simplicity, finished to the highest international standards, complementing the country’s architectural treasures of Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower. As a link to the history of the location, Exchange 106 is now colloquially known as “Pak Luk Lau” or “106 floors”.  

Thoughtful Architecture
The Exchange 106 offers column-free and long spans of office space ranging from 22,000 s.f. to 34,000 s.f., the largest columnless space in Malaysia. These are designed for flexible layouts and open plan interior configurations. The diagonal positioning of the tower also provides ample distance from neighbouring towers and 360-degree views. 

The main lobby is 15-meters tall, sophisticated, elegantly finished with highest quality materials, with book-matched marble cladding and English Burl wood veneer ceilings. It functions as a threshold to the different lift zones serving the 6 vertical zones and podium. 

At the very top, the tower has been crowned not unlike the Chrysler building. The unique and distinguishable tower identity, the Crown of this super tall tower will be the Marquee and defining element for the TRX development and its place in the city’s new and elite skyline. Adorned with super clear glass triangulated and folded to create dramatic and effective reflections during the day and distinctive glow during the night. The LED lights throughout the building change to reflect the colours of the Malaysian currency. 

Connectivity
Exchange 106 has a seamless connection to the overall master plan , with the main lobby and its drop-off at the TRX elevated park level and the base of the building, Ground level (lowest occupiable floor) serving as a pedestrian interchange between the neighbouring office buildings of HSBC and Affin Bank and future commercial buildings in the quarter, the MRT station and Lendlease’s Exchange Mall. 

Construction
The milestone of CCC achieved would not have been possible without the vision of Mulia Group Architects led by Ali Moghaddasi, as well as the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the project management team. A world-class collection of architects and designers collaborated on Exchange 106, including: BECA Engineering, Jensen Hughes, Louie International, EDP Consulting, Primetech Engineers, Peter Chan Architect, among others.

Mulia Group is known internationally for their attention to detail and work flow. The tower was designed so that construction could be carried out with well-oiled production line efficiency and Project management was carried out internally. Quality control and efficiency started from fabrication at the factories and extended to the training of every skilled worker on site. Procurement included stockpiling materials, coordinating deliveries and crane operation into a well-choreographed dance of equipment and machinery. “A major part of our philosophy is “doing it right, first time” so that with zero defects there is no interruption for rectification. With that, we went from a 4-day cycles to 2-day cycles by the top of the building, `` said Roland Suckling, Mulia’s Project Director.

Major milestones include May 2016, when the mat foundation concrete pour took place continuously over 60 hours in a weekend achieving a global mark as the second largest continuous concrete pour in the world; December 2017, when the core of the building was topped out, and December 2018, when the crown was completed. The crown and internal lantern was turned on in full force to commemorate Merdeka this year. 

Service standards
A world-class development project like Exchange 106 deserved only the best and most skilled workforce. “The Mulia Group is no stranger to 5-star hospitality, with 5-star award-winning Mulia Senayan and Mulia Bali resorts in its stable. Exchange 106 will continue the Mulia legacy of impeccable service. It will be providing hundreds of sustaining jobs, through building cleaners, maintenance people and auxiliary police officers, all of whom will be direct hires and not outsourced.” said Patrick Honan, General Manager of Property Management of Mulia Property Development Sdn Bhd. 

Transformative
A model for the 21st-century urban experience, Tun Razak Exchange is an unprecedented mix of buildings, parks and plazas, utilities and public spaces that combine to form a connected, responsive, clean, reliable and efficient urban community. The new workplace will bring vitality to the Golden Triangle and with the extensive public realm and extensive network of roadways, a new sense of urban integration.  

Access
Keeping up with the pace and the hustle and bustle of the city, access is key in a hub, making buildings like Exchange 106 at TRX excellent as it sits at the intersection of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line and the upcoming Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line making the TRX MRT station an integrated interchange station. Direct road links to three major highways in and around the city centre namely, Jalan Tun Razak, the Maju Expressway and the SMART Tunnel ensure easy entry and exit to and from TRX.

Occupancy
The long list of features is already attracting the right kind of companies as Fortune 500 companies and other multinationals are flocking to occupy a building that will set the occupiers apart as the ones to watch and emulate. With 2 zones in the final stages of documentation and design, the first tenants are expected to move in by December, with the bulk occupying by March-April 2020.

Exchange 106 @ Tun Razak Exchange is looking forward to welcome the tenants of this state of the art, one a kind supertall skyscraper located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur City Centre. “The Exchange 106 is expected to be second to none and is bench-marked against international properties such as The Shard, buildings in Canary Wharf, both in London, New York’s One World Trade Centre and Shanghai IFC,'' remarked Honan 

Source: Arcis Communications 

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Eisya Ereena Binti Mohd Shahren
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Tel: +60 19 210 1052 
Email: ereena@arciscommunications.com

Name: Nurul Atiqah Binti Mustapa
Account Executive
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Email: atiqah@arciscommunications.com

--BERNAMA