43 Sydney Tower Facts: Best Place To Visit In Vacations!
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Sydney Tower is a wonderful architectural complex located in the city of Sydney, Australia.
The tower stands at a 1014 ft (309 m) height. It is one of the tallest and safest structures in the world.
The tower is made up of a long shaft and a turret on the top, which can hold a total of 960 people. The turret has restaurants, a cocktail club, 4D cinema, a skywalk, an observation deck, and more. You can see many other great landmarks of the city from the tower.
Read on to know more information about the Sydney Tower and if you like this article, then also check out Sydney Opera House Facts and Robert Irwin Australia Zoo.
Historic Facts: Sydney Tower
The Sydney Tower is relatively new as it opened only in 1981. However, it still has gained a lot of attention from people, and there have been a few instances surrounding the beautiful structure, starting from the name changes to the few accidents.
When the design and construction were going on, it was being called the Sydney Tower. However, it opened as the Centrepoint Tower. When AMP started managing the Centrepoint shopping centre, they officially referred to it as the 'AMP Tower' in 1998.
Then came the Westfield Group in December of 2001. They took over ownership, and it was renamed Sydney Tower once again. Some other names the tower is known as are the Glower Tower, the Centrepoint Tower, the Big Poke, and the Flower Tower.
There have only ever been two accidents on the structure. A 21-year-old woman committed suicide from the tower by removing her safety harness and leaping from the skywalk in 2018.
The same year, another man fell to his death. The skywalk was closed for five weeks as they increased the safety equipment on the tower. All these incidents were reported by media outlets like the Sydney Morning Herald.
Construction: Sydney Tower
The Sydney Tower is a remarkable building. It is not only the tallest structure in Sydney; it's also one of the safest buildings in Sydney and the world. Hence building the structure was a feat in itself.
The Sydney Tower is proof of quality construction and engineering. It took a few steps to complete the building. The work of the tower started back in the late '70s.
The shaft of the tower was made up of pre-made individual units of barrels. There are a total of 46 barrels units that weigh 27 tonnes (27000 kg) each.
People brought these units to the site in a total of seven pieces and then welded them together. That's why one-half of the shaft contains two sets of emergent stairs plumbing, electrical, and fire ducts. The other half contains the lift shafts.
Once individual work on the barrel units was done, first, they placed three of these in place, and then the remaining 43 barrel units were hoisted using a gantry crane. The four turret levels of the tower were actually constructed at the shaft's base and then raised at the top as the construction progressed.
Finally, 56 cables have been added to stabilize the structure.
Interestingly, the height limit of the building was designed at 915 ft (279 m), but owing to its work, they had to increase it. That height still remains the height till the top floor of the tower, but they later added a lightning rod on its top.
The changed and increased height limit, including the rod of the building, was at 1014 ft (309 m).
Even at this height, the tower can withstand extreme wind conditions and earthquakes. Work on the office component of the tower was completed in 1974, and finally, the Sydney Tower was opened for the general public in September of 1981.
Cultural Significance: Sydney Tower
The Sydney Tower has been and is still used on many occasions to celebrate various causes. A big part of Australian culture, it has even been featured in many famous movies.
Standing at 1014 ft (309 m), Sydney Tower is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. For its remarkable architectural feat, Engineers Australia has given it the Engineering Heritage Plaque as a part of the Engineering Heritage Recognition Program. Additionally, it's also a part of the World Federation of Great Towers, an exclusive group of extraordinary structures.
Every year, the Sydney Tower Stair Challenge is held where the participants have to start from Pitt Street Mall, reach the tower, climb 1504 stairs and reach the observation deck. The money raised from this special event goes to the Cancer Council.
The tower has been featured in many films, like 'Mission: Impossible 2', 'Finding Nemo', and 'The Rescuers Down Under'.
Tourist Visits: Sydney Tower
Sydney Tower is not only the tallest observation tower in Sydney but also in the southern hemisphere. In general, millions of people flock to the tower to enjoy the stunning views the tower offers.
The Sydney Tower is located at the Westfield Sydney shopping centre on Market Street, between Castlereagh street and Pitt street.
The tower is usually open to the public seven days a week for the entire year, and you can see as far as the Central Coast and the Blue Mountains from the observation deck of the tower.
The tower has 19 floors, and the Sydney Tower Eye Observation Deck gives you an amazing 360-degree view from the highest point of Sydney because the Sydney Tower Eye Observation Deck is 820 ft (250 m) above the ground level of the harbour city.
The tower provides tourists with four different levels of entertainment. The tower's golden turret has four floors that people can visit, and the total capacity of the turret is 960 people.
Sydney Tower Dining operates three among those four floors. On these three floors there are two restaurants - '360 Dining' and 'Sydney Tower Buffet', and one cocktail bar - 'Studio'.
Interesting fact, the turret in total has 420 windows, and they are cleaned by 'Charlie', a semi-automatic cleaning machine. It takes 13.2 gals (50 L) water and two days for the machine to clean all the windows.
You will find the observation deck, a 4D cinema, the skywalk, a kiosk, and a gift shop on the remaining top floor. You can catch the best views of the iconic landmarks of the city from the observation deck, like St Mary's Cathedral, Luna Park, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, and more.
The 4D cinema comes as complimentary, included with the fee you have to pay to get to the observation deck.
The cinema is 12 minutes long, and it shows footage of the most beautiful landmarks of the city.
The tower has even been used during various occasions, like the Olympics or New Year's Eve, to illuminate with coloured lights or launch fireworks. Additionally, the tower is only at a distance of a mile (1.6 km) to the Sydney Madame Tussauds if you want to visit.
Interestingly, the Opal Tower in Sydney is often confused with this tower! The Opal Tower was actually designed and built by Bates Smart Architects and Ecove, respectively.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Sydney Tower facts then why not take a look at Australian crafts for kids, or the 1939 Australia fire?
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature
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As a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and energetic individual, Olaleye's expertise lies in administrative and management operations. With extensive knowledge as an Editor and Communications Analyst, Olaleye excels in editing, writing, and media relations. Her commitment to upholding professional ethics and driving organizational growth sets her apart. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Benin, Edo State.
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