Bukit Bintang MRT station

The Bukit Bintang MRT station, otherwise known as Pavilion Kuala Lumpur–Bukit Bintang MRT station due to sponsorship reasons, is a mass rapid transit underground station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Construction started around 2012 and opened on 17 July 2017. It served as one of the stations on the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Kajang Line. The station has 5 walkways and entrances that are connected to iconic buildings and malls in the Bukit Bintang locality, including the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, The Starhill and Fahrenheit 88 shopping malls. The main theme of the MRT station is Dynamic Pulse of Colour.
This MRT station, despite its name, is not integrated and not to be confused with the separate Bukit Bintang Monorail station, which is serviced by the KL Monorail line instead. Paid zone-to-paid zone integration was once proposed but not constructed at the moment.

History and background

According to earlier plans, there were meant to be two stations in Bukit Bintang, namely Bukit Bintang West and Bukit Bintang East, but was later reduced to only one Bukit Bintang station after public display and feedback. This was reflected in the stations rather odd numbering KG18A.
The construction of the MRT station started around 2012 and ended around mid-2017. It was opened on 17 July 2017 as part of Phase 2 of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line.

Station naming rights

The station naming rights are acquired by Pavilion Kuala Lumpur that owns the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping center, a high-end and high-street shopping mall, situated in the vicinity of the station located east of the station.

Location

The MRT station is situated in the heart of Bukit Bintang, a shopping hub in the Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle commercial district. Located underneath Jalan Bukit Bintang, the station's entrances are located along the iconic intersection of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Interchange

The station is designated as a connecting station with, and is within walking distance of the KL Monorail station of the same name, nearby Entrance C and D of the MRT station. Despite being in close proximity, there is no paid area-to-paid area transfer due to space constraints. Those transferring from the MRT station to the monorail station and vice versa will have to walk along the Yayasan Selangor building to/from Entrance C, or Lot 10 shopping mall to/from Entrance D. The walkway to the monorail station is uncovered.
Plans for an integrated paid-area which will effectively make the two stations into one exist but no construction has started as of 2024.

Layout

The layout for the station has its own unique features that are not found in other stations in the Klang Valley. It has up to 5 entrances around the crossroads of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail, allowing commuters access to several malls in the vicinity, for example Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Lot 10. The station, being located in an area with limited space, required it to be built underground at about 28m deep. This was to avoid demolishing buildings along the Jalan Bukit Bintang road to make way for construction. The station contains the longest escalator for all 31 stations along the KGL route at 20 metres. Bukit Bintang MRT station is also unique in a sense that it is one of only two stations on the line with split platforms, which means the platforms are stacked one on the other; one for -bound trains and one for Kajang-bound trains.

Exits and entrances

Exit B is reserved for the future integration between the MRT station and the Monorail station.

Design

As with all of the underground station of the MRT, Bukit Bintang station is also given an artistic interior theme, which is "Dynamic". The theme, chosen to represent the dynamic and exciting elements of the country's top central business district, is reflected with different tones of red on the walls in the interior of the station that suggest movements.