Tradition Facing Forward 國油雙峰塔：亞洲出頭天！

With pinnacles ascending 452 meters above Kuala Lumpur, the Petronas Twin Towers have a slender elegance reminiscent1 of the graceful spires2 of Muslim temples. The Islamic influence extends right down to the towers? floor plans, which are based on an eight-pointed star.

However, the Petronas Twin Towers are not merely a tribute to Malaysia’s cultural and religious heritage. They are Malaysia’s challenge to the Asian financial hegemony3 of Hong Kong and Singapore. In building the towers, Malaysia was proclaiming that it, too, wanted to be a center of world trade.

Each tower is supported by a solid 23-x-23-meter core of high-strength concrete. In addition, the towers are joined by a walkway at the 41st stories. The increased stability enabled architects to boost the buildings? height-to-width ratio, giving the towers an air of elegance.

In erecting their towers to the heavens, the builders did not wish to compromise the security and comfort of those who worked there. The twin edifices4 were equipped with three major safety networks. Each tower has its own building control system, fire alarm system, and building security system. In case of a computer failure, these systems can be controlled separately by each tower, independent of the main network.

With a state-of-the-art computer system nestled within traditional architectural motifs, the Petronas Twin Towers are both Malaysia’s monument to its past and the hope of its financial future.

1. reminiscent a. 使想起的

2. spire n. 尖塔

3. hegemony n. 霸權

4. edifice n. 建筑物，（尤指）大廈

坐落在吉隆坡的國油雙峰塔，是兩座高452米，聳入云霄的尖塔狀建筑，其修長雅致的外觀不由讓人想起穆斯林教堂優雅的尖頂。伊斯蘭的影響力還擴及到塔底以八角星為基準的地面設計。

然而，國油雙峰塔不只是對馬來西亞文化和宗教遺產的獻禮，更表現了馬來西亞對香港及新加坡亞洲經濟霸權的挑戰。通過建造雙峰塔，馬來西亞向世界宣告，它也要躋身世界貿易中心的行列。

支撐每座高塔的是23×23m2的堅固的標號混凝土芯。此外，雙塔在41樓由一條走廊連結了起來。這樣增加了建筑的穩定性，建筑師們就可以提高建筑的高寬比例，使雙塔具有高貴典雅的外觀。

在建造高聳入云的雙塔時，建筑師們也兼顧到了大廈里工作人員的安全和舒適。這兩座大廈里設有三大安全網絡。各塔都有自己的控制系統、火警系統和大樓安全系統。萬一計算機出現問題，各塔有各自的安全網絡。

擁有最先進的計算機系統和傳統建筑的外觀的國油雙峰塔既是馬來西亞歷史的紀念碑，也是未來經濟發展的希望。