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The Skyneedle is a prominent feature of the Brisbane skyline which was constructed specially for World Expo 88.
The 88 m landmark was earmarked for relocation to Tokyo Disneyland (following the completion of Expo '88). However, hairdresser Stefan Ackerie stepped in and purchased the Skyneedle, which was then relocated to the Stefan HQ at South Brisbane. After purchase, Stefan added his firm's signature rainbow rings logo to the top of the tower. [1]
The Skyneedle's light, which is capable of emitting a beam of light that may be seen 60 kilometres (37 mi) away, is rarely seen except on special occasions, because of safety concerns for flight paths around Brisbane Airport.
On 4 November 2006, the Skyneedle caught fire due to an electrical fault, [2] this incident being the second of its kind after a similar fire had broken out in 1988. Subsequent investigations have found that the fault was most likely caused by bird droppings. Ackerie has stated that it will be restored to its former glory. On 5 November 2006, Ackerie revealed that the Skyneedle will be technologically overhauled with the additional feature of a sound system.
On 14 March 2009, the top 22-metre section of the Skyneedle was removed. Stefan announced that the section was being rebuilt with new laser technology. [3] The Skyneedle, with its new technology, made its debut on Thursday 23 April 2009 but was officially activated on Friday 1 May by Stefan and Channel Nine weatherman Garry Youngberry on the 6pm news. The new lightshow includes an RGB LED display strip from Italy and a powerful set of German-made spotlights. [3] As of 2019 however, the Skyneedle's light system has once again stalled.
In April 2015 Ackerie announced that he was selling the Skyneedle and the surrounding land to Pradella Group who planned to incorporate the tower into a 12-storey residential apartment complex. [4] This development was granted approval by the Brisbane City Council in August 2015 with Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announcing that the Skyneedle would be integrated into the development with a café being opened underneath it. [5]
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.
World Expo 88, also known as Expo 88, was a specialised Expo held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of the Expo was "Leisure in the Age of Technology", and the mascot for the Expo was an Australian platypus named Expo Oz.
Q1 Tower is a 322.5-metre (1,058 ft) supertall skyscraper in Queensland, Australia. The residential tower on the Gold Coast was the world's tallest residential building from 2005 to 2011. As of September 2022, it is the 14th tallest residential tower in the world, the tallest building in Australia, the second tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and the third-tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, behind the Autograph Tower in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand. The Q1 officially opened in November 2005.
The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank within the suburb of South Brisbane in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The parkland, on the transformed site of Brisbane's World Expo 88, was officially opened to the public on 20 June 1992.
South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people.
Riparian Plaza is a 53-storey skyscraper located in the central business district of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The building stands at 250 m (820 ft) in height to its communications spire and 200 m (660 ft) to its roof. It was Brisbane's tallest building until it was surpassed by Aurora in 2006 and is a particularly iconic building on the Brisbane skyline. It is a mixed use building, with 11 car park levels from the ground up, 25 commercial levels, and 12 residential levels originally housing 50 penthouse apartments.
West End is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, West End had a population of 9,474 people.
A gyro tower, or panoramic tower, is a revolving observation tower with a vertical moving platform. A gyro tower's observation deck is not simply raised to provide its passengers a spectacular view, it is also rotated around the supporting mast, either once in the raised position or while traveling up and down the center mast.
Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entrances in both Ann Street and Adelaide Street. The building design is based on a combination of the Roman Pantheon, and St Mark's Campanile in Venice and is considered one of Brisbane's finest buildings. It was listed on the Register of the National Estate in 1978 and on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. It is also iconic for its Westminster chimes which sound on the quarter-hour.
Holland Park is a southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Holland Park had a population of 8,111 people.
The Cloudland Dance Hall, originally called Luna Park, was a famous entertainment venue located in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was demolished in 1982 and the site was subsequently developed into an apartment complex.
Highgate Hill is a riverside inner southern suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Highgate Hill had a population of 6,194 people.
Queen Street is the main street of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. It is named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Mater Group was formed in 2016 by aligning Mater Health, Mater Education, Mater Research and Mater Foundation under a single, unified banner. Mater provides care for some 500,000 patients each year. Mater was established in 1906 by the Sisters of Mercy. In 2002, Mater became an incorporated body, charged with the responsibility to continue the Mission of the Sisters of Mercy to "offer compassionate service to the sick and needy".
4BC is a radio station in Brisbane, Queensland on 882 kHz AM.
Chevron Renaissance is a $400 million development on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia comprising 713 individually owned residential lots located above the Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre. The onsite management of Chevron Renaissance residential lots is managed by Accor under the brand name of Mantra Towers of Chevron, previously The Towers of Chevron Renaissance.
Stefan Ackerie, usually known by the mononym Stefan, is a businessman who owns a chain of hairdressing salons in Brisbane, Australia.
Moreton Bay Pile Light was a pile lighthouse positioned at the mouth of Brisbane River, in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, marking the entrance to the port of Brisbane. The light's early history was closely related to the dredging of the Brisbane River. It was established in 1884 as a result of a new channel that was cut, and relocated in 1913 due to another change in the channels. The structure was badly damaged by a barge in 1945 and finally destroyed when hit by a tanker in 1949. An automated light operated on the ruins until 1966–1967 when it was removed.
The Wheel of Brisbane is an Observation Wheel in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is 60 metres (197 ft) tall.
The State Government Insurance Office Theatre, was a 600-seat proscenium theatre built within the SGIO office building at 179 Turbot Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Coordinates: 27°28′37.34″S153°00′54.00″E / 27.4770389°S 153.0150000°E