The Starhill

Shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3°08′52″N 101°42′47″E / 3.1477°N 101.7130°E / 3.1477; 101.7130Opening date30 July 2005DeveloperYTL CorporationOwnerStarhill Global REITTotal retail floor area250,000 square feet (23,000 m²)No. of floors7Public transit access KG18A Pavillion Kuala Lumpur–Bukit Bintang MRT station
MR6 Bukit Bintang Monorail stationWebsitethestarhill.com.my

The Starhill, previously known as Starhill Gallery, is a luxury shopping mall located in the Bukit Bintang shopping district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia right opposite of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The mall reopened on 30 July 2005 and was previously known as Starhill Center.

In 1999, when business was in decline, it was acquired by YTL Corporation.^[1] YTL decided to do away with the anchor tenant-based business model and transform Starhill into a luxury brand retail centre.^[2] It underwent extensive renovation led by architect David Rockwell and reopened on 30 July 2005 as Starhill Gallery.^[2]

The mall is connected to the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur by a tunnel.^[2] The link bridge also connects to the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur.

In 2020, Starhill Gallery was renamed once again as The Starhill. Under renovation since October 2019, the mall was reopened in phases from the second quarter of 2020 and will officially be re-launched in 2021. The top levels of the mall will be replaced with additional 162 rooms for JW Marriott.^[3]

On 17 December 2022, Eslite Bookstore, a well-known bookstore chain from Taiwan, opened its flagship store as "Eslite Spectrum". Eslite is known for its wide selection of books, comfortable reading environment and diverse cultural activities. The Kuala Lumpur store is approximately 20,000 square feet in size and has sections for books, stationery, music, art and lifestyle. The book selection includes a variety of languages, including Chinese, English and Malay, and there are dedicated sections for children's books and young adult books. The store also features an "Eslite Life Center" that offers coffee, dining, and creative merchandise. In addition, the store regularly hosts lectures, concerts and art exhibitions to provide readers with a rich cultural experience.^[4]^[5]

Gallery

Exterior façade of the mall in 2017 before renovations
The Starhill in 2021
View from Jalan Bukit Bintang in 2018
Entrance of Eslite Bookstore
Interior of Eslite Bookstore

References

^ "YTL buys stake in Macquarie Prime Reit". The Malaysian Insider. 29 October 2008. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kee, Hua Chee (31 July 2005). "Star light, star bright". The Star. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
^ Kaur, Sharen (12 November 2019). "Starhill Gallery to undergo transformation". NST Online. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
^ "从诚品落户吉隆坡看明星级书店为何没去新加坡". www.enanyang.my (in Simplified Chinese). 2 January 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
^ "誠品生活吉隆坡盛大開幕！6大必逛亮點搶先看，走訪一趟熟悉的異國誠品 - 迷誠品". meet.eslite.com (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 29 November 2023.