Sunway Pyramid

History

Sunway Pyramid was designed by the design director of Sunway, Nelson Yong. After several architects were unable to meet expectations for the building's façade, Yong assumed responsibility for the interior design and architectural concept. According to Yong, he immediately had an inspiration and sketched the iconic lion head, the pyramid and roughly how the building facade would look like after meeting with Sunway's chairman, Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah.

The shopping mall was opened in July 1997. The mall was constructed and designed in the Egyptian Revival architectural style, with a prominent giant lion statue in the main entrance. This statue was designed to resemble the Great Sphinx of Giza with the large pyramid behind it. According to various sources, the face of the statue was actually intended to be a face of a man, with some resemblance to the founder and current chairman of the Sunway Group, Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah. Once the government heard about it, they rejected the proposal citing religious conflicts between the ancient religion of Egypt and modern-day Islam. This story was reportedly confirmed by Cheah himself. Therefore, a face of a lion was ultimately chosen instead.

In 2007, an expansion known as SP2 increased the net lettable area from 886,000 sq. ft. to 1,656,000 sq. ft. From October to December 2011, the 'Canopy Walk Extension Phase 3' project improved the northeast dining zone, now known as Oasis Boulevard East. Another expansion, SP3, was completed in 2015, adding a net lettable area of 62,000 sq. ft. This area is now known as Sunway Pyramid West and is linked to the main complex via an air-conditioned bridge.

The mall features two anchor tenants which are Parkson and Jaya Grocer. Former anchor tenants include AEON, which operated in the mall for 16 years and Cold Storage, which reportedly closed in 2019.

In 2024, a reconfigured retail space spanning 300,000 sq. ft. themed 'Oasis' opened on November 1st, 2024, replacing the previous space occupied by AEON. The space now houses several new tenants such as a LEGO store and a MUJI department store (the largest in Malaysia). The lower ground section, 'Oasis Avenue' (which replaced the former AEON supermarket) currently houses multiple dining establishments as well as the Jaya Grocer anchor tenant (the supermarket was previously located at the basement level). The area is directly linked to the shopping mall through multiple entrances, elevators, and escalators, providing seamless access.

In 2025, a second expansion spanning 30,000 sq. ft. themed 'Terrace', was officially opened in July 2025, located near the main entrance (facing the New Pantai Expressway and right next to the lion statue). The expansion reconfigures the building formerly occupied by a Celcom Blue Cube, with a redesigned interior and exterior design. However, there are no direct pedestrian links connecting this expansion to the main building, with visitors having to cross a road (Jalan PJS 11/15) to get to the Terrace from the main complex.

Management

The mall is managed by Sunway REIT Management Sdn Bhd.

Mall zones

• Asian Avenue
• Boulevard (formerly Oasis Boulevard East)
• Fashion Central
• Marrakesh
• Orange Zone
• Blue Zone
• Green Zone
• Red Zone
• The Link
• Oasis
• Terrace

Mall floorplan

Access

Rail

The mall is connected to the Sunway Lagoon BRT station by a pedestrian bridge.

The mall and its surrounding areas were previously served by Sunway Monorail, which operated between the year 2000 until 2007.

Car

In 2007, a dedicated ramp from New Pantai Expressway to the mall's car park was constructed and is located in front of the mall. The intersection of the Kuala Lumpur–Port Klang highway Federal Route 2 and Damansara–Puchong Expressway lies nearby to the mall, along with an interchange with Shah Alam Expressway. The parking lot can accommodate 10,000 cars. The parking lot uses a ticketless and cashless parking system.

Walkways

In 2014, parts of the Sunway Monorail were modified into an extensive elevated walkway network with shade, now known as Canopy Walk. The Canopy Walk links the mall directly to most nearby landmarks, thus eliminating the need for pedestrians to cross the road or drive to get to places in the city. The western section of the Canopy Walk links the mall to Sunway University, Sunway Lagoon and Monash University Malaysia, as well as the SunU-Monash BRT station located in front of the university. Whereas the eastern section of the Canopy Walk, also known as the Eco Walk, links the mall to Sunway Pinnacle, Menara Sunway, Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway Geo Avenue, as well as the SunMed BRT station, which is also connected to Taylor's University via an additional 800-meter walkway completed in 2015.

In 2025, the southern section of the Canopy Walk (from Sunway University to Monash University) was upgraded, further connecting it to Sunway Square, a new project located in the Sunway South Quay, which includes several retail floors, two corporate towers, a bookstore and a performing arts venue as well as an extension of Sunway University. The Canopy Walk section from Sunway University to Sunway Square was upgraded with a new enclosed design and air-conditioning, making it wider and noticeably different as compared to the other sections of the walkway.

The mall is also directly accessible from Sunway Pyramid Hotel and Sunway Resort Hotel via The Link, a retail and dining zone completed in 2022 which contains esteemed restaurant franchises such as Din Tai Fung and Haidilao Hot Pot (which replaced the area formerly occupied by Taste Enclave, a food court). The Link is also connected to the Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach entrance via a flight of escalators.

Gallery

File:Sunway Pyramid Facade.jpg|Sunway Pyramid Main Facade File:Sunway pyramid mall malaysia photos (21).JPG|Sunway Pyramid Lion Head Entrance File:Sunway pyramid mall malaysia photos (1).JPG|Sunway Pyramid Lion Head File:Sunway Pyramid Orange Entrance.jpg|Sunway Pyramid Main Entrance File:Sunway pyramid mall malaysia photos (16).JPG|Sunway Pyramid Egyptian Decor File:Sunway Pyramid Orange Atrium.jpg|Sunway Pyramid Orange Atrium File:New Pantai Expressway Sunway section.jpg|Ramp to Sunway Pyramid mall File:Sunway Pyramid Ice.jpg|Sunway Pyramid Ice-Skating Rink File:Sunway Pyramid LG2 retro section.jpg|Sunway Pyramid LG2 Marrakesh Street File:SW Sunway Pyramid iceskate.jpg|The ice-skating rink in 2005 File:The Link, Sunway Pyramid (220711) 02.jpg|The Link File:Sunway Pyramid vase (220711).jpg|Sunway Pyramid indoors water display File:Sunway Lagoon Pedestrian Walkway entrance from Sunway Pyramid.jpg|The walkway from the mall to the BRT station File:Jollibee Sunway Pyramid crowd1 Feb 2022.jpg|Jollibee branch in Sunway Pyramid File:Haidilao Hot Pot Sunway Pyramid.jpg|Haidilao Hot Pot branch in Sunway Pyramid. This area was formerly occupied by a food court (Taste Enclave)

References

References

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