Kompleks Kerja Raya 2

Kompleks Kerja Raya 2 (KKR2) houses the centralised offices of the Public Works Ministry, which were scattered around Kuala Lumpur. As the new headquarters of the ministry, it was a challenge to comply with the comprehensive list of requirements set by Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR), such as the Industrialised Building System (IBS). The building also attained Green Building Index (GBI) platinum status.

This 37-storey tower is situated along Jalan Sultan Salahuddin and next to the existing JKR office complex. It comprises a tower and a plaza level with a linked common dining area sitting on top of seven parking levels. Solar panels were installed since there is enough sunlight throughout the year to generate adequate energy and contribute towards the general grid in the future. There is an accessible terraced garden on the topmost level that offers unobstructed city views and a rainwater harvesting system for landscape irrigation that is located underneath the roof structure resembling a crown. The orientation of the tower was determined by how it would stand amidst surrounding skyscrapers and form a part of Kuala Lumpur’s city skyline.

The east- and west-facing glazing allowed for the application of different façade treatments in the design. The façade was made from 6,248 distinctive low-emission triangular glass pieces of semi-unitised triple glazing system, which were installed at customised angles to form a dynamic skin that reduces the intensity of sunlight throughout the day. This substantially reduces heat gain on the glass surface and internal air-conditioning load.

The overall building façade comprises three sides. The part fronting the main access is symmetrical and was made from semi-unitised glazing Façades A and B, while Façade C on the other side of the tower was made from aluminium cladding composite panels. Façades A and B handle the twisting shape of the tower in X-axis, while Façade C handles a curving Y-axis. Façade C curves in two planes—a parabolic geometry whereby it curves outward towards the roof and inward towards the centre of the tower.

The floor plates of the tower vary in shape and size throughout 37 levels. Its geometry changes gradually from an isosceles triangle into a quadrangle, which provides an unobstructed view of the city. The initial design in 2010 required the tower’s columns to stay straight throughout 37 storeys. However, due to the variation of the floor plate shape—morphing from triangle to leaf—the column positions would be inconsistent across levels and cause certain floors to become inefficient. The solution was to reorganise and improve space utilisation, which freed up spaces by relocating all columns to the perimeter. This resulted in 20 columns being constructed slanted from the ground at different angles from all corners, reducing in diameter as they get higher.

This tower aspired to become a model of cutting-edge design and technology, hence exploring the potential of a conventional system. The installation of glazing to the floor plate’s varying perimeter curves was facilitated by triangulating a simple and versatile solution of a stick system. The utilisation of reinforced concrete (RC) precast slabs, semi-unitised façade, aluminium system formwork for the core, reusable circular steel formwork for columns, RC lightweight blockworks and IBS interior panels complies with the specification for IBS. All components were assembled in the factory and installed on-site to ensure that they meet the required standards.