F.A. Porsche Design will really design anything. We’ve featured gondolas, luges, military vehicles, ski lifts and more, but never a ferris wheel on top of a sky scraper.
Set to open in 2021, the M101 Skywheel in Kuala Lumpur will be the highest Ferris Wheel in the world. To be clear, this is the highest off the ground, not the largest in diameter. This is an important distinction, as the M101 Skywheel is not going to lay its foundations directly into the Earth. No, the Skywheel will not be so plebian. The Skywheel will be mounted to the top of a skyscraper. This privileged vantage point will offer riders a vantage point some 722 feet over the the skyline of Kuala Lumpur. F.A. Porsche Design is responsible for not only the ferris wheel, but the rest of the 78-story skyscraper as well.
A Building Made of Firsts
This H-shaped structure is an innovative design, and will contain office space, the world’s highest shopping mall, the highest ferris wheel on Earth, and Asia’s first Planet Hollywood hotel. The crossmember of the H will contain the two-storey shopping mall on floors 50 through 52, or about 200m off the ground. A Planet Hollywood hotel will occupy the right upper member of the H, giving it expansive views over the surrounding city.
The Ferris Wheel itself will have a closed face, designed to resemble a giant watch face. Though the wheel itself does not feature a particularly impressive diameter, its elevated position will afford it views unmatched by any existing wheel.
While we’ve never been able to criticize the Porsche Design Group for having a narrow portfolio, this particular project is so far out of the norm, we are excited to see it to completion.