Ministry of Design goes for gold with bronze to connect the public areas at YTL’s Kuala Lumpur headquarters.

Once spread across various offices in different locations, Malaysian infrastructure conglomerate YTL Corporation Berhad has amalgamated operations under one roof for the very first time. Ministry of Design (MOD) was called in to define a unified brand identity for the public areas of the Kuala Lumpur building shared by YTL’s departments, which have all developed their own ways of working since the company’s founding in 1955. Ensuring the vertiginous lobby felt welcoming and human in scale was one challenge. MOD’s answer was to play with proportions, lighting and a restrained material palette. The cloudlike art installation, for instance, which helps to visually reduce the ceiling height, features bronze accents. This colour recurs throughout the public areas to connect the building’s various floors. Between levels 8 and 9, MOD designed a feature staircase with powder-coated bronze metal rods, while bronze shelving features in the café. This hospitality spot at the heart of level 8 is part of the upper public zone, designed as an extension of the lobby, where YTL staff can meet external visitors and consultants.