Merdeka 118 vs Shanghai Tower: Height and Area Comparison

Two of the giants of the architectural world are Merdeka 118 and Shanghai Tower. Both are iconic landmarks, but they dominate the sky in very different ways.

This article compares these two supertowers using simple facts and numbers to see which one truly wins.

1. Height Comparison

Height is the main reason these buildings are compared. Merdeka 118 recently took the title of the world’s second-tallest building, pushing Shanghai Tower to third place.

Feature	Merdeka 118	Shanghai Tower
Height	678.9 meters (2,227 ft)	632 meters (2,073 ft)
Location	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Shanghai, China
Status	Completed (2023)	Completed (2015)

The Difference:

• Merdeka 118 is 46.9 meters (154 ft) taller.
• Note: Much of Merdeka’s height comes from its massive spire (antenna), whereas Shanghai Tower has a higher roof (occupied floor).

👉 Winner in Official Height: Merdeka 118

2. Floor Area Comparison

Height does not always mean more room inside. Total floor area shows how much usable space (offices, hotels, malls) the building actually holds.

Feature	Merdeka 118	Shanghai Tower
Total Floor Area	~292,000 m²	~420,000 m²

What This Means:

• Shanghai Tower is a massive building with much more interior volume. It can hold significantly more people and businesses.
• Merdeka 118 is slender and sleek, focusing on vertical impact and its diamond-shaped design.

👉 Winner in Usable Space: Shanghai Tower

3. The Simple Analogy

If you are struggling to visualize the difference, think of it like this:

• Merdeka 118 is like a sharp, tall pencil. It reaches incredibly high but is thin.
• Shanghai Tower is like a thick marker pen. It is slightly shorter, but it is much wider and holds more “ink” (space) inside.

Final Verdict

Which building is “better” depends on what you value:

• If you care about records and skyline impact, Merdeka 118 is the king of Southeast Asia.
• If you care about engineering volume and interior space, Shanghai Tower is the engineering marvel of East Asia.