Menara Tun Mustapha

A landmark of beauty and magnificence

Imposing, beautiful and unique in concept, the 30-storey aluminium and glass building Yayasan Sabah Group headquarters, the Menara Tun Mustapha is one of the most extraordinary buildings in the country.

Built with bold architectural and engineering concepts, it is a building many thoughts was not possible to construct as it was the first of its kind in this region. The building is structured as a 72-sided polygon with walls made of 2,160 special reflective glass panels that can withstand wind speed up to 272 km/hour. Suspended from the central core of the building are steel radial brackets where some 96 high-tensile steel rods are hung and hold the 30 floors of the building. This building is known to be the fourth of such high-rise "hanging" office building in the world and has been a famous landmark and tourist attraction ever since its construction in 1975.

The towering building, which can be viewed as a rocket ship ready to be launched, does not only represent the forward-looking attitude of the organisation but also portray Sabah's beautiful landscape as, at times, the view of Mount Kinabalu is reflected in the glass walls of the building. With a distance of 80 kilometres from the city, Mount Kinabalu can be seen in a clear sky. Located beside the blue waters of Likas Bay and its coral-fringed coast, the journey to Kota Kinabalu City from Menara Tun Mustapha is only 8.1 kilometres through the coastal road which cuts across the bay. The building is similar to that of the Taj Mahal which changes colours throughout the day, depending on the clouds, sunshine and the ever-changing colours of the skies.

On 31 July 2001, in conjunction with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Yayasan Sabah, the building was named "Menara Tun Mustapha", after the late Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun, a hero and patriot of the State, national and international level. Menara Tun Mustapha is named as such to acknowledge his contributions and struggles. Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun was also an inspiration to many with his astounding work in establishing Yayasan Sabah which, until today, plays the catalyst role in education and socioeconomic development of the State.