Ilham Baru Tower, KLCC

Ilham Baru Tower (also known as IB Tower) sets to be the fifth tallest infrastructure in Malaysia after its completion in 2015. The developer, Ilham Baru, has made the smart move of hiring the world-renowned architecture firm Foster + Partners, which was founded by Lord Norman Foster. That man is a successful architect and he has garnered awards such as the 21st Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate in 1999 and Praemium Imperiale Award for Architecture in 2002. IB Tower is placed in the prime KLCC area, on Jalan Binjai near Jalan Ampang, and the tower will feature mainly office suites and serviced apartment. Other amenities and facilities will also be available.

Ilham Baru Tower will be made up of 60 floors. 33 will be dedicated to the office suites, while 22 are for the serviced apartment units. The remaining would be taken up by a food court, an art gallery, a banking hall, a convenience store, a cafe, a business centre and other facilities. The desire for column-free space leads to the building’s unique facade. The exterior is then said to be designed with the idea of shading the interiors. Obviously, this property is an architectural dream. Moreover, the height of this building means that the top floors are a perfect spot to catch the city skyline.

More amazing aspects of Ilham Baru Tower are, first of all, the 14-metre high lobby ceiling. Imagine walking to an expansive lobby, a big statement of the standard of this property. Next is the high-number of parking bays, to serve the drivers to and fro the building. A total of 913 parking bays will be available to the people that go to Ilham Baru Tower. Then, the high-rise offices will also come with raised floors. This will help to prepare a controlled environment for super-sensitive apparatus.

Fortunately, the list of features for Ilham Baru Tower does not end there. The developer has been working hard to ensure that the building passes the Green Building certification. To aid in their bid, the elements that need to materialise in the building are daylight glare control, sensors to maintain the CO2 level in the air, energy-reducing light fittings, group lighting operation, harvesting of rainwater and non-chemical water treatment, which they have prepared. With these things, the certification of Green Building on Ilham Baru Tower would not be a problem.

The presence of a serviced apartment triggers the inclusion of several hotel-like facilities. The one that has caught the most attention is the art gallery, giving a cathartic opportunity for art lovers at Ilham Baru Tower. Not forgetting potential office tenants, meeting rooms, auditorium, courier service and banking hall are some other facilities that can entertain a few corporate needs.

With the aim of protecting the prospective occupants at Ilham Baru Tower, top of the line security measurements have been planned in Ilham Baru Tower. CCTV cameras will be installed almost everywhere, while card access control restricts outsiders from entering the building at their own will. A visitor management system will be carried out, and a turnstile entrance will be a feature of the office lobby.

Ilham Baru Tower’s location makes talking about its amenities a redundant business. Every KL-lite would know that the KLCC area is the pinnacle of Kuala Lumpur. Almost every important address is there. First up is the ever-present Petronas Twin Towers and its mall Suria KLCC, with Avenue K just beside it. The KLCC Park is a nice option for those who just want a nice stroll by the lake and under the trees. Ampang Park is a closer but slightly outdated commercial option, but it still relevant with the KL life. Other nearby office building is the G Tower, the Intermark, Felda, Tabung Haji and others, while exclusive and nearby condos are The Oval, Binjai Residency, Myhabitat, amongst many more. In the immediate vicinity of Ilham Baru Tower is the Ampang Park LRT station, while the KLCC stop is a further walk or drive away.

Jalan Binjai connects Ilham Baru Tower to Jalan Ampang and Jalan Tun Razak. Those who need to get to Ampang in a hurry could take the Ampang – Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH), while the other alternative is through Bulatan Kampung Pandan. Other highways available are Maju Expressway (MEX), SMART tunnel and Duta – Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE).

Property Details

• Name: Ilham Baru Tower (also known as IB Tower)
• Address: Jalan Binjai, KL City Centre, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
• Developer: IB Tower
• Completion Date: 2015 (estimate)
• Type: Office and Serviced Apartment Tower
• No. of Blocks: 1
• No. of Storey: 60
• Office suites: 33
• Serviced Apartment: 22
• No. of Units:
• Serviced Apartment: 228

Layouts

• Office suites (400,000 sf)
• High-Rise
• Low-Rise
• Serviced Apartment

Facilities

• Meeting rooms
• Spa
• Gymnasium
• Sky terrace restaurant
• Food-court
• Art gallery
• Lobby
• Banking hall
• Convenience store
• Cafe
• Dry cleaners
• Florist
• Courier service
• Auditorium

Analysis

IB Tower is the developer behind this mega project of Ilham Baru Tower, and the word ‘mega’ is not an overstatement since the building is expected to be the fifth tallest in the country. The combination of office suites and serviced apartment is not a strange one, thus it does not raise any eyebrow.

The involvement of Foster + Partners has raised the profile of the property significantly. The building, albeit a few complaints that say it looks similar to some other skyscrapers, is shaping to be one of the best-looking in Kuala Lumpur. Then, both residential and commercial needs are satisfied with facilities that cater personally to each sector. The residents at Ilham Baru Tower have their usual gymnasium, spa and laundry service; must-haves for every serviced apartment. Then the spacious lobby, raised floors and numerous parking bays are there to serve the commercial side of the building. Plus, the Green Building certification is set to make it a unique and a self-sustainable high-rise infrastructure.

However, the best thing about properties being developed around the vicinity of KLCC is the location. The location could be considered as Malaysia’s own property holy grail, as it will not go unnoticed for sure. A myriad of other shops, centres and buildings are available even within a walking distance, constantly linking the future residents and tenants of Ilham Baru Tower to the outside world.

Few concerns are of course there, as Ilham Baru Tower is not perfect. The traffic around the KLCC area cannot be overlooked. Though new highways have reduced the volume of on-road vehicles by an amount, but it is still hectic. Standstills can be expected on the not-so-frequent days with heavy rain. But, that standard of traffic is a staple thing in the city now, and those who can get used to it, will get used to it. Those who hate traffic jams might want to stay away.

Ilham Baru Tower will be a significant piece of property in the Kuala Lumpur area. Not much info has been released at the time of writing, such as the details of the service apartments, hence it has created the right balance of intrigue and suspense. All in all, Ilham Baru Tower is definitely a property that needs to be watched out for.