EVOLUTION OF WORLD SQUARE: Hordern Towers is completed (1999)

Continuing on in our series on the evolution of World Square, we will look at the completion of the first major building at the World Square site - Hordern Towers which would be completed in 1998.

Last week, I covered the years that the site was vacant and merely a hole in the ground. The challenge was to restart work in some capacity. In 1994, a Malaysian consortium landed the northeastern section of the site at the corner of Pitt and Liverpool Streets. Under the 1985 scheme, the tower slated for that site was to be for a hotel.

That was set to become a reality:

Source: House, K. 1994. "$50m-$100m hotel, unit plan stirs World Square". The Sydney Morning Herald: October 20: page unknown.

By 1997, work was well and truly underway impressing then-Lord Mayor Frank Sartor.

 

Sources:

1. Totaro, P. 1997. "Up up and away as building work takes off in city's largest crater". The Sydney Morning Herald, May 27: page unknown.

2. Hughes, H. 1997. "World Square on road to recovery". The Sydney Morning Herald, May 27: 32. 

 In 1999, Hordern Towers was now ready for business.

Source: Tsvdaridis, D. "Small corner of World Square open for business". The Daily Telegraph, September 10: 21.

Hordern Towers was designed by Davenport Campbell & Partners rising to a height of 156 metres. There are 48 floors with  278 apartments spread over 31 levels. A hotel (Rydges World Square) occupies the remaining levels. The retail component would be integrated into the World Square shopping complex as the remaining stages were built.

I've included at the bottom several photos that I have taken over the years of the tower.