MILESTONE: The AMP Building turns 60 (1962)

This year marks sixty years since Sydney's first major skyscraper - The AMP Building at Circular Quay was offically opened.

Completed in 1962, the building located in Alfred Street at Circular rises 26 levels or 117 metres tall. It is regarded as the first major skyscraper to be built in Sydney following the abolition of the 46 metre or 150 feet height limit for city buildings in 1957.

Plans were unveiled in 1958. Click here to view an entry relating to the unveiling of plans. The building was designed by Peddle Thorp & Walker with construction overseen by Concrete Constructions Pty. Ltd. The following year, the Thomas Mort Woolstore which had occupied the site had demolished

It was officially opened on February 23 1962, by Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies.

Taken by the Author (2019).

Facts of interest at the time of opening

• Construction took 21 months (excluding around three months due to industrial action and weather delays).
• First building in the world to use sea water as part of its heating and cooling systems.
• Seventh head office for the company.
• Staff Cafeteria was provided on Level 5 with seating for up to 500 people.
• Around 3000 workers worked in the building.
• Intended to cater for the demand by AMP for office space over fifty years in central Sydney.

Source: Anon. 1962. "Amenties For Big Staff". The Sydney Morning Herald, February 26: 9 (AMP Building Supplement).

Observation Deck

Source: Anon. 1962. "Observation Deck For Tourists". The Sydney Morning Herald, February 26: 10 (AMP Building Supplement).

At the time of opening, Level 26 featured an observation deck that was open to the public. Years later it was converted into the boardroom for the AMP Board.

Below are a few photos that I took during Sydney Open in 2004 when it was opened to ticketholders.

 

AMP Building & Quay Quarter Development

The AMP Building will undergo restoration and revitalisation works this year and will continue through to 2024.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Angel Arcade (1988)

Welcome to Part 8 in our series of "Never Builts".

In 1988, AMP unveiled plans to build Sydney's tallest office tower - a 43 level, 244 metre office tower at 123 Pitt Street designed by architects Dino Burattini and Peddle Thorp Walker. Burattini was also the architect behind 52 Martin Place. 

It was envisaged that the tower would commence construction in 1989, but Sydney City Council did not give approval until 1990.

Source: Chancellor, J. 1988. "AMP plans $530 million office development for Sydney." The Sydney Morning Herald, August 13: 37. 

At the time it was the tallest skyscraper to be approved for construction in the Sydney CBD. 

The development also included a 13 level office building to be built on George Street, which is the present site of Justin Hemmes Ivy complex. 

Construction commenced the same year with excavations completed. The development was deferred by AMP as office vacancy rates increased in central Sydney during the recession of 1990-1991. The site was not completely vacant with a temporary golf driving range operating on the site.

Source: Anon. 1996. "City driving range is music to their ears". The Daily Telegraph, December 19: 20. 

The Pitt Street site remained idle until 1996, when a new development application (DA) was lodged due to the expiration of the DA. Changes to planning guidelines during the mid 1990's reduced the height of any tower built on the site to protect the sun access plane into Martin Place. That is why the tower has a sloped roof.

AMP were granted approval for the current tower - Angel Place which rose to a maximum of 152 metres or 35 levels. The tower including the new City Recital Hall was completed in 2000.

The George Street site remained vacant and was the last of the infamous "holes in the ground" from the 1990-91 recession to be filled. Proposals to build an office building were explored, but did not proceed. Justin Hemmes developed the site into the Ivy nightclub in 2007 which also included bars, restaurants and retail at street level. 

Finally, I was lucky in 2013 to photograph a "block model" of the tower which was inserted into the model of the Sydney CBD at Town Hall House. This provides an idea of how it may have looked when viewed from different parts of central Sydney. Thanks to Richard Braddish for his support.

1958: Plans for the AMP Building are unveiled.

The AMP Building at Circular Quay (1962) is regarded as the first major skyscraper built in Sydney. I found renderings that were published on Page 1 of The Sydney Morning Herald on October 21, 1958.

The notable difference in the renderings is that the plant room which we see atop of the tower today did not feature, though the article mentions that the final height to the top of the lift shaft at 370 feet (main building was projected to be 347 feet tall).  It was envisioned that the new building would cater for the growth of the company up to the year 2000. Projected cost was five million pounds ($10 million).

Keep in mind that a decade later, plans were already underway for a second tower which would become the AMP Centre, which was completed in 1976.

The AMP Building is notable for the precdent that it set for highrise development in Sydney and Australia:

• First international style skyscraper in Sydney.
• At 117 metres tall, it was twice as tall as any skyscraper in Sydney. 
• Led to taller and higher buildings in Sydney. The AMP Building now is now a dwarf on the city skyline.

Source: Anon. "Untitled" (Artists Impression). The Sydney Morning Herald, October 21: 1. 

As part of AMP's Quay Precinct development, the AMP Building will undergo renewal works which will include the return of some of the lost features of the tower. The major renewal works will occur in its interiors with a major upgrade of office space to provide premium space for tenants. This is projected to commence in 2020. Changes will respect its heritage status.

It should hopefully be completed by its 60th birthday in 2022. 

1981: Sydney Tower opens

An advertisement published in The Daily Telegraph in September 1981 to promote the opening of Sydney Tower. I recall it was published on September 24.

It took thirteen years for the vision of Donald Crone and the AMP to become a reality. Construction of the tower began in 1974 and took 7 years to complete.

Source: Warnock, S. 1981. "Some guys can afford to be smiling...when they're at the top". The Daily Telegraph, September 24: 2-3.

In September 1981, the public was finally allowed inside Sydney's tallest structure. The official opening was on September 23, 1981, by NSW Premier Neville Wran. He received a gold token that gave him free access for life. The public gained access two days later to the observation deck and two revolving restaurants.

The Sydney Morning Herald published a special supplement on September 25, 1981, focusing mainly on the construction of the structure.

This is believed to be one of the first commercials to promote Sydney Tower.

Since 1981, it has been the main observation deck in the Sydney CBD. The observation deck at Australia Square closed immediately after the completion of Sydney Tower. However, the observation deck (and museum) on the southern pylon of the Harbour Bridge continues to be open decades after opening.

Crown Sydney will offer an observation deck at a similar height to Sydney Tower when it is completed in 2021, but I think Sydney Tower will continue to attract the hordes.

The construction of Sydney Tower has profoundly impacted on the evolution of the city skyline. It's central location in the "midtown" precinct has meant that Sydney Tower appears to be in the middle when viewing the skyline from any vantage point in the metropolitan area. Sydney Tower hence appears as the "summit" on the city skyline. The photos below illustrate the arc as seen from various locations around the city.

 

 

Until recent times, it has also been a yardstick for city development. While planning guidelines control building heights to preserve streetscapes and protect city parks, streets and public spaces from overshadowing, it has also been used to protect the views from Sydney Tower.

As for the tower itself, visitors have been provided with additional experiences including the Skywalk (introduced in 2006) to provide an outdoor viewing experience, 4D cinema feature at ground level.

Currently, Sydney Tower is managed by Merlin Entertainment and is currently branded as the Sydney Tower Eye. Merlin Entertainment is also responsible for several tourist attractions in Sydney including Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife Park and  Madame Tussauds. Tourists can buy integrated passes that allow access to those venues on one pass.

Sydney Tower and Centrepoint has been owned by Westfield since 2001 after it was sold by AMP. In 2011, Westfield relocated their headquarters into the office building after a major renovation. This included the redevelopment of the retail complex which also encompassed the former Imperial Arcade and Skygarden shopping centres to create one large city shopping centre - Westfield Sydney.

Westfield Sydney also includes the former Sydney Central Plaza directly opposite in the Pitt Street Mall.

1968: The conception of Sydney Tower

Sydney Tower has been the defining structure on the city skyline since its completion in 1981. Getting there was a timely process.

The story of Sydney Tower dates back to 1968, when plans were unveiled by the AMP Society to build an 850 foot (259 metre) tower atop a new shopping centre and 15 level office building on a site bounded by Market, Pitt and Castlereagh Streets. The estimated cost was just $25 million.

Source: Anon. 1968. "$25 Million Plan Keeps Shoppers Safe From Cars". The Daily Telegraph, March 22: 1. 

Sydney Tower is designed by architect Donald Crone. It is believed that the design (in fact the entire development) was conceived at a dinner party where he drew a sketch of the tower on a napkin.

Source: Anon. 1968. "Untitled" (Artists Impression). The Sydney Morning Herald, March 22, 1.

The initial proposal contained a four level turret with an observation deck and revolving restaurants as we see today. However the section above for the plant room did not feature with an antenna rising from a flat roof. 

Within a year, the design was evolving into what would become the final product with the section for the plant room included with a small antenna rising above it. You will notice this from a 1969 article in The Sydney Morning Herald, where a scale model of the tower was being subject to wind tests.

Source: Anon. 1969. "Untitled" (photograph). The Sydney Morning Herald, August 14: 11. 

A more detailed render had been published a few weeks earlier in The Sun Herald on June 29, 1969.

Source: Anon. 1969. "Untitled" (photograph). The Sun Herald, June 29: 9. 

They were aiming for the tower to be completed by 1974, but completion was pushed back further and further.

Above: One of the advertisements promoting Sydney Tower as part of the Centerpoint Complex. The retail centre was opened in two stages (1972 & 1974 while the office component was completed in 1974.

Further refinements led to the final design that we see today, especially with the plant room, which also contains water tanks to be used in the event of a fire but also to minimise swaying. 

The final height would be 309 metres, fifty metres higher than the earlier schemes.

In a fortnight, we will look at its opening in 1981, and the impact it has had on the city skyline. 

1998: How Sydney Tower got its signage

Above: Signage atop Sydney Tower. Photo was taken by the Author (2012). 

AMP was one of the official sponsors of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. As part of the Olympic Games, AMP wanted to erect its logo along with an Olympic Sign.

 

Source: Skelsey, M. 1996. "The people say no to a giant sign in the sky". The Daily Telegraph, November 20:15.

This was not popular with some Sydneysiders given the iconic nature of the building. In 1998, the AMP signage went up. However, AMP went for Olympic Artworks designed by Dominique Sutton. I remember this well from the TV news reports at the time. I recall swimmer Ian Thorpe and Seven Nightly News Sports Presenter (and former Olympian) Neil Brooks standing at the top of the tower alongside the sculptures.

 

Source: Anon. 1998. "Games art reaches new heights". The Daily Telegraph, July 27:9.

The sculptures remained atop the tower until 2003 when they were relocated to Sydney Olympic Park. In the early 2000's Westfield purchased Centrepoint from AMP and this included Sydney Tower itself. In 2011, Westfield was given the approval to erect its logo in place of AMP atop the tower.

 

1969: Plans for the AMP Centre are released

The AMP Centre at Circular Quay is square in terms of its shape, but did you know it was meant originally to be rectangular according to its original proposal that was unveiled by the AMP back in 1969? They were aiming for completion by 1974.

The height of 612ft when converted measures to 187 metres, which was the final height. Peddle Thorp and Walker were the architects.

Source: Anon. 1969. "Landmark: Tallest building to rise 612ft". The Daily Telegraph, March 28 1969: 12. 

 

At this stage, I have not yet located an article that confirms the changes that resulted in the tower that did rise. What we do know was that tower was not finished until 1976.

Photo taken by the author.