Right in the heart of the Sydney central business district rises the 305-metre Sydney Tower Eye, a distinctive, highly visible Sydney landmark and the city’s tallest structure, more than two and a quarter times the height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at its highest point.
The tower has had a number of name changes and on September 22, 2011, after months of renovation, it became Sydney Tower Eye.
Sydney Tower Eye provides an aerie-like platform to view Sydney and its surrounds.
On a clear day, you can see as far as the Central Coast in the north, the Blue Mountains in the west and Wollongong and the Illawarra Coast in the south.
But Sydney Tower Eye is not just a landmark, an observation deck, and a point of reference for those who lose their way in the city.
Currently it offers a Skywalk around the outside of the tower and a 4D Cinema showing images of Sydney.
Crone's vision
Sydney Tower was officially opened on September 27, 1981, with construction having started seven years earlier.
Built to withstand earthquakes and gale-force winds experienced only once every thousand years, Sydney Tower is a towering testimonial to the work of architect Donald Crone whose vision it was to create this landmark "needle" in the sky.
The turret of Sydney Tower is equivalent in size to that of a nine-storey building. It can accommodate a maximum 960 people and is serviced by three high-speed elevators. Fifty-six steel cables stabilise the tower.
A tower by any name
There is some confusion about its name as many Sydneysiders have been referring to this structure as Centrepoint Tower. Then there was the time it was called AMP Tower (after its owners) with the letters AMP emblazoned on the turret’s sides.
Whatever it has been called before, and there are mentions of Centrepoint Tower in a number of travel guidebooks as well as in certain street directories, this was officially named Sydney Tower until the Eye was appended in September 2011.
Centrepoint Tower, AMP Tower, Sydney Tower and Sydney Tower Eye are not separate structures but the one same towering Sydney landmark.
Because it is visible from many parts of the city, Sydney Tower, now Sydney Tower Eye, has been used to highlight city events, particularly the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when wire figures of Olympic athletes were installed on it.
