Hi, Lykkers! Tun Mustapha Tower, also known as the Sabah Foundation Building, is a distinctive landmark in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Located near Likas Bay, the tower is recognised for its unusual structural design and reflective glass exterior. Completed in 1977, it has become one of the notable architectural landmarks in the city.

A Distinctive Tower

Tun Mustapha Tower is a 30-storey building constructed mainly with aluminium and glass. Its unusual structure is based around a central core, with steel brackets supporting the floors around it.

Sabah Tourism Board notes that when the building was completed in 1977, it was one of only three buildings in the world based on this structural concept.

The building has a 72-sided polygonal form and is covered with 2,160 reflective glass panels. According to Yayasan Sabah Group, the panels were designed to withstand strong winds, while the distinctive structure gives the tower a different appearance from conventional office buildings.

Formerly the Sabah Foundation Building

The tower was originally known as the Sabah Foundation Building and serves as the headquarters of Yayasan Sabah Group. The organisation is involved in various programmes connected with education, economic development, and other areas of public interest in Sabah.

The building was later renamed Tun Mustapha Tower in honour of Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, a prominent Sabah figure who served as the state's third Chief Minister from 1967 to 1975 and later as its first Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

Designed Around a Central Core

The structural concept is one of the tower's most interesting features. Rather than relying on conventional columns throughout the office floors, the building uses a central core with steel radial brackets extending outward.

High-tensile steel rods help support the floors suspended around the central structure.

This approach gives the tower its distinctive appearance and creates large areas without conventional structural columns. The building's circular appearance from a distance also contributes to its recognisable profile along the Likas waterfront.

A Landmark in Kota Kinabalu

Tun Mustapha Tower is located about 5 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu city centre and is included by the Sabah Tourism Board among the city's notable attractions. Its position near Likas Bay also places it within an area surrounded by several other landmarks and recreational destinations.

The reflective glass exterior can also create changing visual effects as daylight and the surrounding sky are reflected across the façade. This feature has contributed to the building's reputation as one of Sabah's distinctive examples of modern architecture.

Visiting the Tower

Tun Mustapha Tower primarily functions as the headquarters of Yayasan Sabah Group rather than a conventional tourist attraction. Sabah Tourism Board lists the building as a Kota Kinabalu landmark, but does not provide a standard public admission fee or regular tourist visiting hours on its destination page.

For travellers exploring Kota Kinabalu, the tower is best appreciated from the surrounding area as an example of Sabah's modern architectural heritage. Its unusual structural system, polygonal form, and reflective glass façade make it an especially recognisable part of the city's skyline.

A Distinctive Sabah Landmark

Tun Mustapha Tower remains an important architectural feature of Kota Kinabalu more than four decades after its completion.

Its innovative construction, distinctive shape, and connection with Yayasan Sabah give it both architectural and local significance.

For visitors interested in the city's landmarks, the tower offers an opportunity to see one of Sabah's most unusual examples of modern building design.