What¿s Up, Down Under
(Syracuse, N.Y., Sep. 16, 2002) ¿ One of the Southern Hemisphere¿s most impressive attractions to both residents and visitors is its tallest building, Sydney Tower, Australia. The tower serves as a focal point for Centrepoint, an 11-story shopping and office complex and the retail center of Sydney. The Sydney Tower, along with the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, serves as a unique symbol of Australia¿s largest city.
This landmark building wouldn¿t be complete without Carrier air conditioning. Both the Centrepoint shopping and office complex and the unique turret on the tower are air conditioned by Carrier through its Australian company, Carrier Air Conditioning Pty Ltd.
Four hermetic centrifugal chillers which air condition the building are found in a large plant room in the basement of Centrepoint. Air conditioning for the turret is provided by a Carrier dual reciprocating compressor, direct expansion chiller. Each compressor has a separate refrigeration circuit so that 50 percent capacity is always available. Five operation floors can be found above the public floors. They include plant levels containing essential equipment.
Architect Donald Crone conceived Sydney Tower in 1968. Construction began in 1975 and was completed in 1981. However, building this tall tower was no small feat. Engineers had to overcome the potential problem of Sydney¿s winds on the structure. The tower was designed to withstand a ¿once-in a-thousand¿ year storm, bending in winds in excess of 162 mph, as well as an earthquake of a force never anticipated to occur in Australia.
Sydney Tower¿s turret has nine levels. Four of them are open to the public and can hold up to 960 people. They are home to a restaurant and two observation decks. From the observation deck, visitors can see sites up to 62 miles away, truly a ¿bird¿s eye¿ view. Sydney Tower also offers a view similar to that from an airplane¿it is the only building high enough to penetrate the clouds. The two revolving restaurants exert forces that require pinpoint precision to ensure equilibrium. One restaurant revolves clockwise and the other counterclockwise, but at exactly the same speed.
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