1968: Highrise pools feature in "The Sun Herald"

Below is a feature article from The Sun Herald (7 July 1968) focusing on the construction of pools in highrise buildings. Two pioneers to install highrise swimming pools in a Sydney skyscraper include the Travelodge Hotel (now known as Mercure Sydney Wynyard) and the Park Regis building on Park Street. The Park Regis pool is, located on the roof level.

   

Source: Anon. 1968. "Floating on top of skyscraper". The Sun Herald, July 7:98. 

Some other Sydney skyscrapers that have pools on its upper floors include World Tower, ANZ World HQ (Penthouse), Pullman Sydney Hyde Park and the Sebel Quay West in The Rocks. Feel free to list any other highrise skyscrapers with pools on its upper floors in the Comments section.

1982: Life in the Park Regis

In 1982, the Park Regis was 14 years old and The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed some of its residents, all of whom were original buyers in the tower.

It would be interesting to compare the residents of 1982 with that of 2020. I am curious if any of the original residents still reside in the tower or even their descendants. 

Four decades ago, living in central Sydney was still a novelty.

Source: Wyndham, S. 1982. "Charles Weil says he'll take the Park Regis". The Sydney Morning Herald, September 18: 27.

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×

1968: Highrise Swimming pools

Below is an article published in The Sun Herald on July 7 1968 on the construction of swimming pools in highrise buildings in Sydney.

Source: Anon. 1968. "Floating on top of skyscraper". The Sun Herald, July 7: 98. 

Park Regis which completed that year would house the highest swimming pool in Australia - 45 levels above ground.

Towards Circular Quay, the Travelodge Hotel at the corner of York and Margaret Streets' was building its own pool - 28 levels above the ground.

More than fifty years later, its standard for highrise hotel and apartment blocks to have a swimming pool on offer to its occupants. Some will offer views while others don't as they are located on the lower levels of the building.

Currently, the highest rooftop pool in Sydney is not the Park Regis, but the pool located in the penthouse atop the ANZ Centre in Pitt Street, completed in 2013.

The swimming pool atop the ANZ Centre as viewed from Sydney Tower. Photo taken by the author (2018). 

Today, the highest indoor swimming pool in Sydney is located on level 61 of World Tower, but they do have pools on two separate floors to cater for those residing in the lower sections of the tower.

The swimming pool and spa on level 61 of World Tower. Photo taken by the author (2004). 

1966: What the Park Regis might have been

Photo taken by the Author (2013)

I have had a fondness for the fifty year old Park Regis Tower in central Sydney. It is the tallest brick building in Sydney (if not Australia) and was the first major highrise apartment tower to be built in the Sydney CBD.

I found renders of what it might have looked like from an earlier scheme. Note that the plant (service box) room was towards the south and much smaller. The upper floors didn't have the standard balconies. The swimming pool appears to have switched from the northern side towards the southern side, swapping places with the plant room.

Source. Stocks & Holdings. 1966. Untitled (Artists Impression). The Sun Herald, November 6, 49.

To live in the penthouse, it would set you back $135 000. Studio apartments were on sale for $10 000.

Stocks and Holdings actually advertised the earlier scheme in its advertisement promoting the apartments.

Source: Stocks & Holdings. 1967. "Park Regis" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 6: 20. 

1967: Rare photo of the view from level 43 of Park Regis

In 1968, the Park Regis building was completed and was the first major high-rise apartment tower to be built in the Sydney CBD. This week, I share a photo of the view from the tower when it was under construction in 1967, showing the spectacular view looking north from level 43. Obviously, that view has been blocked as city towers rose in the decades that follow.

Source: Anonymous. 1967. "View from the 43rd floor". The Daily Telegraph, November 4: 3. 

I have managed to collect some material on the tower itself, yet have struggled to find reports relating to the initial proposal. At this stage, I cannot provide a more comprehensive feature.

In the 1960's there was a push to encourage unit development in central Sydney which was largely commercial, particularly in the southern sections of the city. Unit development in the Sydney CBD didn't begin to gain momentum until the 1980s.

At the time of completion it did break some records for its time:

• Tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere - 45 levels or 136 metres tall. It held the record until 1983 when the  47 level Peninsula Towers at Surfers Paradise, Queensland took the record by one metre (137 metres tall).
• Second tallest building in Sydney after Australia Square Tower (46 levels, 170 metres tall).
• Remained the tallest apartment tower in Sydney until 1996 when the 46 level (168 metres tall) The Peak Apartment tower was completed at Haymarket.

Even today, it still maintains a strong presence in midtown Sydney as these photos from my personal collection (or secret stash to friends) show.