Australia Square Tower

Australia Square Tower is a round skyscraper in the middle of Sydney, Australia. It was designed by the architect Harry Seidler, who started work on it in 1961, and was finished in 1967. It is about 170 metres tall and has 50 floors. From 1967 until 1976 it was the tallest building in Sydney.

Its look is easy to remember: white concrete ribs run all the way up between bands of bronze-coloured windows, in the shape of a cylinder. It was the world's tallest lightweight concrete building when it was built, and it is seen as Australia's first modern skyscraper, a building taller than 150 metres.

Why is the tower round?

A round tower casts less of what Seidler called the 'dark canyon effect', the shadowy feeling of tall straight walls at the street. The circular plan, together with setting the tower back from the street, lets in more light and leaves room for a public plaza. The engineer Pier Luigi Nervi worked with Seidler on the structure. The tower takes up only about a quarter of the city block.

What is inside?

The tower has 50 floors, mostly offices. On the 47th floor there was a revolving restaurant called The Summit, and the 48th floor has an observation deck. Under the building is one of Sydney's largest basement car parks, with spaces for about 400 vehicles. It was proposed with 58 floors, but the design was reduced to 50. The plaza has been refurbished more than once, including new paving made of Italian stone in 2003.

On the globe

The model shows the round tower with white ribs and bronze window bands, plus the lower Plaza Building next to it. Look for the vertical ribs.