Skyscrapers are meant to impress, but some are so massive they leave people feeling tiny in comparison.
That’s exactly what happened to an American tourist, Rhea, when she found herself staring up at the Merdeka 118 tower in Kuala Lumpur, the second-tallest building in the world.
Unable to shake off her sense of unease, she filmed a now-viral video capturing her shock, and netizens had a lot to say about it.
“Why does this building freak me out?”
In her video, Rhea pointed her camera at Merdeka 118 before comparing it to the buildings around her, including the high-rise she currently lives in.
Despite being used to tall buildings, something about this one felt different.
“Idk why this building frightens me to look at,” she captioned the video.
Standing on the 27th floor, she panned her camera over the city, trying to explain what made the skyscraper so overwhelming.
“I need you guys to understand how massive this building is. Like, number one, I’m on the 27th floor, and this is my view. No zoom, okay.”
Comparing the giants
To put things in perspective, she shifted the camera to a nearby high-rise and noted:
“This building is like 40 floors.”
She then pointed to another equally tall building and repeated:
“This building is like 40 floors.”
Finally, she turned the camera back to Merdeka 118, letting the visual contrast speak for itself.
A jaw-dropping moment
As reality sank in, she couldn’t hold back her reaction.
“Holy sht, look. These are not small buildings back here. These are actually massive buildings being dwarfed by this motherfcker.”
‘Looking at it makes you realise how small you are’
Speaking to us after the video made waves online, Rhea shared that Merdeka 118 is, without a doubt, the biggest building she has ever seen.
And that’s saying something, considering she’s from New York City.
“I’m used to seeing the Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower,” she said, “but Merdeka seems so much bigger to me!”
The fear she mentioned in her caption wasn’t about danger, it was more of an existential kind.
“It’s kind of like the ocean,” she explained.
“Looking at it makes you realise how small you are. If that makes sense.”
And if she had to describe Merdeka 118 in one word?
She didn’t hesitate. “Massive,” she laughed.
Despite the initial shock, Rhea now sees the tower as a fascinating part of her experience in Malaysia and maybe even something to admire from a (slightly less intimidating) distance.
Netizens react
Her video quickly gained attention, with netizens chiming in with their thoughts. Some agreed with her amazement, while others shared facts about the tower.
One person pointed out:
“It’s the 2nd tallest building in the world for a reason.”
Another added:
“I can still see the tower from Shah Alam. Can you imagine how far Shah Alam is from Kuala Lumpur?”
Some provided extra context, with one user explaining:
“FYI, the Merdeka 118 is built on top of a hill (Petaling Hill).”
Others, however, raised concerns about its impact on the city:
“A study found that this building significantly increased Kuala Lumpur’s daytime temperature by reflecting excessive sunlight onto its surroundings.”
Watch the clip here:
