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 Suria KLCC Mall history
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The History of Suria KLCC Mall

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Suria KLCC opened on 8 May 1998 as the retail heart of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre development, a six-level crescent designed by Petronas Twin Towers architect Cesar Pelli that curves around the base of the towers and opens onto KLCC Park. Its name comes from 'suria', the Malay word for sunshine, reflected in the sunlit atria beneath the towers. Launched with around a million square feet of retail space anchored by Isetan and Parkson Grand, it added the Petrosains science discovery centre in 1999 and has been progressively refreshed, most recently with a 2023-2024 interior refurbishment and dozens of new international brands.


Timeline

1993-1997

The mall is built as part of the first phase of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre on the former Selangor Turf Club site, designed by Cesar Pelli as a crescent podium embracing the base of the Petronas Twin Towers.

8 May 1998

Suria KLCC opens with six retail levels and roughly one million square feet of lettable space, anchored by Japanese department store Isetan and Parkson Grand, at the time positioning itself as Malaysia's premier upscale mall.

1999

Petrosains, the interactive petroleum science discovery centre, opens inside the mall, joining cinemas and galleries that made Suria KLCC more than a shopping destination.

2023-2024

A major interior refresh upgrades common areas, escalators, and digital wayfinding, while about 35 new brands arrive in 2023 alone, including Bacha Coffee's Malaysian debut, as the mall repositions itself after the pandemic.


What's Inside Today

Cesar Pelli's crescent

The mall shares its architect with the Twin Towers: Pelli shaped it as a low, curved podium so the towers rise uninterrupted above it, with the concourse axis framing a view into KLCC Park.

The name 'Suria'

Suria is Malay for sunshine, a nod to the daylight that floods the mall's central atria through skylights beneath the towers.

Esplanade and Lake Symphony frontage

The mall's park-facing steps overlook Lake Symphony's fountain shows, making its esplanade one of the most photographed vantage points of the Twin Towers.

Petrosains Discovery Centre

Opened in 1999 and run by Petronas, the interactive science centre inside the mall traces the science of petroleum and remains a school-trip staple.

Original anchor stores

Isetan and Parkson Grand anchored the mall from opening day in 1998, with Marks & Spencer among the long-standing international tenants.


Frequently Asked Questions

When did Suria KLCC open?

Suria KLCC opened on 8 May 1998 as the first retail component of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre development, shortly after the Petronas Twin Towers were occupied and a few months before KLCC Park opened.

What does 'Suria' in Suria KLCC mean?

'Suria' is the Malay word for sunshine. The name reflects the skylit atria at the centre of the mall, which sit directly beneath and between the Petronas Twin Towers.

Who designed Suria KLCC?

Cesar Pelli, the architect of the Petronas Twin Towers, designed the mall as a curved six-level podium wrapping the base of the towers, so the skyscrapers appear to rise straight out of it while the mall opens onto KLCC Park.

What were Suria KLCC's original anchor stores?

The mall opened in 1998 anchored by Japanese department store Isetan and Malaysia's Parkson Grand, with around a million square feet of space over six levels.

Has Suria KLCC changed since it opened?

Yes. Petrosains, the science discovery centre, was added in 1999, and the mall underwent an interior refurbishment across 2023 and 2024 that upgraded common areas and brought in roughly 35 new brands, including Bacha Coffee's first Malaysian outlet.

Sources

Suria KLCC, Wikipedia

Suria KLCC remains upbeat despite looming competition (The Edge Malaysia)

Suria KLCC official website

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