Menara Marinara may become Islamic WTC

KUALA LUMPUR: The long vacant Menara Marinara in Jalan Tun Razak could become the Islamic World Trade Centre, should the Malaysia OIC Trade Chamber succeed in its plan.

Chamber president and founder Datuk Raja Mohamad Abdullah said that since the chamber was formed in 2004, it had been looking to acquire a commercial building to establish the proposed Islamic World Trade Centre.

Raja Mohamad said the chamber welcomed local and foreign investors to be involved in its efforts to purchase the 37-storey office/retail/serviced apartment building, which is up for sale.

“We are looking to tie up with investors as we are keen to turn the building into a one-stop trade centre for Islamic countries,” he said in an interview here.

The building is owned by Pekeliling Triangle Sdn Bhd, which is under receivership.

The receivers have advertised for expression of interest last week and all offers need to reach the receiver and manager by 5pm on Nov 23.

Construction of Menara Marinara on 0.82ha was completed in 1999.

Raja Mohamad said such a trade centre would also help position Malaysia as the global hub for halal food and Islamic banking and finance as envisaged by the Government.

He said it was time that Islamic countries forged greater trade among them.

Raja Mohamad added that the facility would be a one-stop centre for all OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference) countries to showcase their products and services and promote business networking.

He said the 57 OIC countries produced various world standard products from cars to leather goods.

However, the lack of exposure and one-stop facilities to showcase these products and services made it difficult for them to penetrate the markets of even fellow OIC countries.

According to Raja Mohamad, the OIC's 10-Year Programme of Action adopted at its Extraordinary Summit in Makkah Al-Mukarramah in December 2005 sets a goal to raise the level of OIC intra-trade to 20% of world trade during the decade until 2015.

In this context, he believes the Malaysia OIC Trade Chamber and the proposed Islamic World Trade Centre could play a significant role in facilitating more trade among OIC countries.

“There is so much potential to be tapped ... trade is the only way for OIC countries to tackle challenges such as poverty, which is high in many OIC countries, and to improve their living standards,” he added. – Bernama

Menara Marinara has resumed work! They've put up fences around the tower and removed one side of the cladding. Not sure who's the owner now

yeah currently under major facelift......
wel good 4 them...

pics anyone....do they still have the same owner?..

Source: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/30/business/15835249&sec=business

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/10/30/business/b_11marina.jpg

yeah currently under major facelift......
wel good 4 them...

pics anyone.....

Taken on 1/1/2010

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/1136/72187835.jpg

1/1/2010

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2795/4268843322_9a1eecccac_b.jpg

yeah. they started the renno on one side at this moment...

Finally after all these years!!!!

thanks nazrey..good pics....hope the facade will be better than the previous one

1/1/2010

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2795/4268843322_9a1eecccac_b.jpg

kenapa perlu buang cladding tu? bazir jer....

renovate dalam sudah lah...

U got that right!!What a waste!!

i like this building,very japan-ish....
but it does need recladding so it looks fresh,i think...
kl skyline wouldnt be boring again....:lol::lol::lol:

Harap2 cladding baru diaorg nak pasang kat facade Menara Marinara tu tak buruk lah...the old one was very nice...:ohno:

Harap2 cladding baru diaorg nak pasang kat facade Menara Marinara tu tak buruk lah...the old one was very nice...:ohno:

yalah, jangan kasi warna pink atau purple sudahlah:lol:

^^ Lol pink or purple cladding ah?,yg tu mmg dah takde planning yg betul :lol:

Hopefully its just something like its old cladding,but with a little more 'sparkle' added into it :)

kenapa perlu buang cladding tu? bazir jer....

renovate dalam sudah lah...

i dont think you realize many of the old clads have started to peel off from the building because for ten years there is no maintenance done. this is the reason they take out and replacing.

oh i see...

Hope the new cladding is not going to be yellow ,i saw they put up 2 sample panels!!!

^^ Yellow??,damn i cant believe that,im sure thats the weatherproof plastic seal outside it and the original cladding color cant be yellow :ohno:

I suspect not the whole buildinglah.just some parts lah

Good to see that long-vacant building finally getting a recladding job... Btw, who is the operator of the serviced apartment at the upper floors, just to ask?

From flickr
by along pulah arab

the marinara is being stripped bare of its claddings..
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4487800086_e1c7a20985_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4588820241_358143bc68_o.jpg

Are the yellow claddings suppose to be some sort of pattern or something

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1308/4610261531_056b162cdc_o.jpg

@Post 24:What a crappy new cladding,they should stick with the same color...:ohno:

They are removing the glass shades as well:( Lets hope they'll retain the spires!

Eh, they are also removing the shades?

Wow, this makes the building look so plain... And what's with those yellow spots on the sides?

From flickr
by aalim

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4626173639_c1c42a0dfe_o.jpg

this building macam a kindergarden kid sketch over an artist's masterpiece

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4696447606_a191338319_b.jpg

Are the yellow claddings suppose to be some sort of pattern or something

It's trying to tell the world: "Saya Harimau...Don't mess with me!"

the building feels so pain that they remove its 'skin'...

From ugly to super max fugly!!!

Went by it today!!!Aiyo yellow and grey just not itlah!!!!

^^ That's bad :ohno:

The Marinara Tower was completed in 1999, I didn't know it was vacant. In the building's reconstruction, why are they overhauling its facade and incorporating yellow panels on it?

Beats me, but it makes an okay building become a near-fugly!

Still, I'm just curious as to why an 11 year old building was left vacant all this while, couldn't find tenants, I presume?

oh dear i really hope the facelift works will not damage it's beauty. i still remember when i was a kid looking up high on this building and said "damn this building is pretty".

Beats me, but it makes an okay building become a near-fugly!

Still, I'm just curious as to why an 11 year old building was left vacant all this while, couldn't find tenants, I presume?

:ohno:Thats what happens here in malaysia when the owner party hops during her political glory days:lol:But the new owner must be out of their minds to pick the present colours:bash:

You'll be surprised of some people's tastebuds.... look around your housing estate and you'll know not all renovations are nice.. LOL

^^^ tell me about it.. but i really hope not this building, it's such a loss if it end up being a huge banana cake.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjesamdyunos/4862285923/
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4862285923_f779e0ae73_b.jpg

OMG, what are they thinking!, at least leave the window shades there :ohno:

After years of nothing then we get this???Whylah!!!!

I got a feeling that they are gonna clad 70% Yellow. Looks like a huge child care centre!!!

You'll be surprised of some people's tastebuds.... look around your housing estate and you'll know not all renovations are nice.. LOL

You are absolutely right. I don't understand why the local government can still allow renovation on terrace/semi-d house. In Europe, you can't even change the color scheme unless if you have got approval from all the tenants.

I got a feeling that they are gonna clad 70% Yellow. Looks like a huge child care centre!!!

:lol:Even better some part in front is GOLD!!!!!!!:nuts:

Here's a closer view:
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p436/darrenyeo/IMG_0438.jpg

Aiyo, what a rotten color scheme; makes a nice-looking skyscraper look like a giant childcare center or kindergarten! :(

Still, looking at the bright side of things, at least the long-abandoned Marinara Tower is getting a new lease of life after all these years of neglect! :D

Here's a closer view:
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p436/darrenyeo/IMG_0438.jpg

What an eyesore, more like a gray tower with yellow stripes.

Tadika Marinara, the world's largest and tallest kindergarten. Another Malaysia Boleh project :banana:

^^ Yup :rofl:

Any idea how much they spend for that?

they planed 4 gold but doesnt look gold huh

damn.. it's getting uglier. it was nice before & where do they find this stupid idea??

^^ They shouldn't have touched it, the original was way better...

But then again all the buildings in that area is all max ugly!!!what a waste ha!

I think it is completed. Saw the building lited up wit security guards at the lobby and a huge banner advertising for office space rental:

http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p436/darrenyeo/IMG_0497.jpg

From my iconic building to a most unwanted building now :cry: Macam a Picasso master piece sketched over by budak tadika

Just speechless...:bash::bash::wallbash::wallbash:...:ohno:

oh lord...disaster...urghhh

Kenapa nama dia macam spagetti ?

this new design,cladding everything..it's disaster.totally ruined the originality of marinara..not much different with her front neighbour TH-Selborn,so ooggly..

Wow...congrats....epic failure

this new design,cladding everything..it's disaster.totally ruined the originality of marinara..not much different with her front neighbour TH-Selborn,so ooggly..

:lol:Not to forget wisma perkeso and celcom:bash:

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9232/marinara.jpg

Funny new layout.. the yellow is damn ugly man.