The design for a new headquarters for Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) was in response to their desire to create a workplace for the future, one that is timeless and considerate of the surrounding environment. Envisioned as a sprawling campus, the new headquarters building for TNB (TNB Platinum) represents the vision and ambition of Malaysia’s largest electricity company for its new corporate headquarters. The project augurs a paradigm shift in its workplace culture and workforce development mediated through sustainable architecture.
The site, located in Bangsar, is in one of the most prestigious and affluent areas in Kuala Lumpur, making it highly accessible and convenient for businesses and individuals alike. Built next to TNB’s original and iconic 1966 headquarters office building, the 166,000 sq.m development is a collection of four office blocks, a convention centre and ancillary buildings that inform a connective master plan linking various entities within the brownfield grounds.
The office buildings cascade down from a 19-storey tower at its peak that steps down to a low-lying two-level convention centre in consideration of the immediacy of Pantai Hospital and the surrounding residential suburb, embodying the incepted campus zeitgeist. The development’s central plaza located at the heart of the development is an arcing forecourt of generous landbscaping and foliage which also connects to the food court below.
In the interstices between blocks, a high ceiling atrium varied in height expresses a horizontal tower that is contiguous to an uninterrupted ground plane, reinforcing the seamless connectivity in the plan that is intrinsic to the development scheme. Link bridges, stairs and collaborative spaces striate the horizontal tower’s lower level, emphasising its communal functions and encouraging spontaneous interaction between occupants of each block.
Personifying articulation and function are the project’s unique brise-soleil, a V-shaped perforated aluminium panel that lines each overhang and extends the shading capacity while reflecting harsh glare away from the internal spaces. Since the buildings were orientated in an arc, the harshest glare on the façade would differ on the sun path, which created an opportunity for each building to project its distinctive geometry.
Located adjacent to the original Headquarters building is the Convention Centre, an important component of the development serving as a venue for various events and activities for the TNB Platinum community. The internal spaces were crafted to allow flexible spaces catering for different needs of events either big or small. The distinct feature of the building is its façade of zig-zag patterns that act as an embodiment of the existing headquarters building adjacent. These zig-zag patterns were achieved through a series of vertically orientated GFRC panels tailored to create a sleek, contemporary appearance with clean lines and minimalist aesthetics. Large expanses of glass mirroring the zig-zag pattern of the façade provide natural light and panoramic views of the surrounding area to the pre-function spaces creating a warm and welcoming feeling to internal spaces.
In line with TNB’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals, the project realises the client’s aspiration of a truly sustainable development, from the landscaped forecourt and green roofs that reduce heat gain, to energy efficient lighting fixtures and air conditioning systems, photovoltaic arrays and GBI Platinum-certified status. It epitomises a commitment to people and the environment not just in design but also in workplace culture and workforce development, mediated by purposeful community-centric architecture.
