At 761ft the views from the top of KOMTAR, which sits atop a four-storey
shopping centre, are the real reason most people see it as an
indispensable part of Penang’s tourism scene. These days, KOMTAR has a
flawed reputation. In the 90s it was Penang’s most popular mall and an
almost mandatory stop on sightseeing trips but as the years went by,
most people passed it over due to its worn out exterior. Most
noticeably, the mall is not as popular as it used to be – after all
Penang has flashier malls like Queensbay Mall and Gurney Plaza. However,
recent plans to revitalise the tower has led to its rise from the
ashes, so to speak.
Besides a great photo opportunity, the 12-sided tower houses retail
shops and the administrative offices of the Penang State Government,
plus it is one of Penang’s main transportation hubs with the ground
floor KOMTAR Bus Terminal acting as the focal point through which all
bus routes in Penang radiate from. What’s more, the viewing gallery has a
souvenir store and coin operated telescopes much like New York’s Empire
State Building. Designed by the Architects Team 3(AT3) of Singapore in
1974, KOMTAR occupies over 11 hectares and was initially built as part
of an urban renewal project by the Penang Development Corporation.
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