Sydney Tower
by Ingolfson, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Centre_Point_Tower_In_Sydney_Edit.jpg, available in the public domain
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Sydney Tower, also called the AMP Tower, AMP Centrepoint Tower, Centrepoint Tower or just Centrepoint, is the tallest free-standing structure in Sydney, and the second tallest in Australia, after the Q1 building on the Gold Coast. It is also the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere, after the Sky Tower of Auckland, New Zealand. However, the main observation deck of Sydney Tower is actually 50 metres higher than that of Auckland's Sky Tower.
Sydney Tower stands 305 metres above the Sydney central business district. It is located at 100 Market Street, between Pitt and Castlereagh Streets. It is accessible from the Pitt Street Mall, and sits upon Centrepoint an office building and shopping centre.
History of Sydney Tower
Construction of Centrepoint began in 1970 while the Sydney Tower itself was constructed in 1975. When it opened in 1981, it was the fourth tallest building in the world. The total construction cost of the tower was A$36 million.
Before the construction of Sydney Tower, there was a height limit for buildings in Sydney at 279 metres. This is to allow safe overflights by flying boats. However, this type of aircraft has already been obsolete for two decades.
The three main sections of Sydney Tower open to the publilc are the Observation Deck, the Sydney Tower Skywalk and the restaurants. One is the Observation Deck, at 250 metres above ground level. This is where you find a small gift shop, and information about the tower. Above it is the Sydney Tower Skywalk. At 268 metres above ground level, it is only accessible through guided tours. There are two revolving restaurants, one serving à la carte and another buffet. The restaurants seat 220 people while the tower itself can accommodate up to 960 people at one time. Three high speed double-decker elevators whiz passengers to the Observation Deck within 40 seconds.
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