Centrepoint Tower

History of the Centrepoint Tower

Sydney most visible icon with a height of 304 m is the Sydney Tower, formerly known as Centrepoint Tower or AMP Tower that serves as both a communications tower and as a tourist facility.

The Centrepoint Tower project began in late 1970 and it started with the construction of a sixteen level reinforced concrete building. The building was completed in 1974 that accommodated shops and offices. The construction of the tower itself started with the prefabrication of the 46-barrel units that formed the shaft. The diameter of the units is 6.7 m and the weight is 27 tonnes. The turret is an eight-level welded steel frame structure that was manufactured at the base of the shaft. As the shaft progressed the turret was raised up. The bottom part of the spire was erected in as the shaft progresses. The second part of the spire was erected when the tower structure was completed. The spire is made of 56 cables those weights 7 tonnes each. Total weight of the tower is 40,000 tonnes.

Construction of the Centrepoint Tower

The Centrepoint Tower is one of the safest buildings in the world.

The Centrepoint Tower is one of the safest buildings in the world. The maximum design wind speed is 172 km/h with 1.1 m deflection at this speed. The tower has a 162,000 litre water tank at the top that acts as a stabilizer on windy days.

The turret has a capacity of 960 persons, and contains two levels of restaurants, a coffee lounge, an observation deck at 250 metres heights, two telecommunication transmission levels and three plant levels. The visibility to horizon from Observatory is 85 km. The restaurants rotate slowly through 360 degrees in 30 to 90 minutes. There are three double-decker lifts with 25.5 km/h speed and 2000 persons of capacity per hour. One ride takes approximately 40 seconds.

The construction took 6 years at the cost of $25 Million US dollars. The inauguration date was on 23 September 1981.

Sydney Skywalk

Centrepoint Tower Restaurant