Cesar Pelli, the renowned Argentine-American architect who designed the iconic Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, died recently at the age of 92.

The native of Tucuman in Argentina’s far north-west was also the architect of the Buenos Aires headquarters of state giant YPF as well as One Canada Square in London among other notable buildings.

Graduating from Tucuman University, Pelli moved to Connecticut in the US in 1952. Between 1977 and 1984 he served as dean at Yale University School of Architecture.

When the Petronas Towers, home to Malaysian state oil giant Petronas, were inaugurated two decades ago, they constituted the tallest building in the world. His US firm was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the towers in 2004.

In 1995, Pelli was himself awarded the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects, its highest accolade.

“Cesar Pelli designed both iconic buildings and a vibrant practice. The buildings represent his values, and the practice, under an esteemed group of design leadership, continues his legacy,” Pelli Clark Pelli Architects in the US said of its co-founder.

YPF said in a tweet that Pelli “left his mark with his magnificent works in his country and in the world”, labelling him “a true ambassador of Argentine talent”.

Weekly

Tributes paid to late Petronas Towers architect Pelli