Sydney, the largest city in
Australia, is home to 1,168 completed
high-rise buildings, more than any other city in Australia.
Of those completed or
topped out
In building construction, topping out (sometimes referred to as topping off) is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction. Nowadays, the ceremony is often parlaye ...
, the entire city (including metropolitan suburbs) has 47 buildings that reach a height of at least , of which 16 reach a height of at least 200 metres (656 ft) – the
second–highest number of skyscrapers in Australia,
as well as a further 16 buildings rising to at least 150 metres (490 ft) in height currently under construction.
Although the tallest buildings in the city have historically been concentrated in the
central business district and immediate surrounding areas such as
Barangaroo
Barangaroo was the second wife of Bennelong, who was interlocutor between the Aboriginal people and the early British colonists in New South Wales. Barangaroo was a member of the Cammeraygal clan. While Bennelong spent considerable time in th ...
and
Ultimo, suburbs within the Sydney
metropolitan area have all seen a substantial surge in the development of high rises and skyscrapers in recent years, with major satellite centres such as
Chatswood,
Parramatta
Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
,
North Sydney,
St Leonards St Leonards may refer to:
Places Australia
*St Leonards, New South Wales
**St Leonards railway station
*St Leonards, Tasmania, suburb of Launceston
*St Leonards, Victoria
Canada
*St. Leonard's, Newfoundland and Labrador
New Zealand
* St L ...
and
Macquarie Park
Macquarie Park () is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 13 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde.
...
all witnessing or playing host to the construction of skyscrapers rising above 150 metres. As a result, Sydney has the tallest building and most skyscrapers (reaching at least 150 metres or above) outside an
inner city
The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...
area or core in Australia.
Sydney was one of the first cities in Australia and internationally to welcome the introduction of skyscrapers and high-rise office blocks in the mid 20th century, alongside cities in the U.S., including
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, subdivision_name ...
. Witnessing a boom in the 20th century, Sydney has played host to various buildings which have held the title of
the tallest building in Australia including
St James' Church, the
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings an ...
, the
Garden Palace
The Garden Palace was a large, purpose-built exhibition building constructed to house the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879 in Sydney, Australia. It was designed by James Barnet and constructed by John Young, at a cost of £191,800 in on ...
, the
General Post Office,
AWA Tower
The AWA Tower is a heritage-listed office and communications complex in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia built for Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited. The AWA Tower consists of a radio transmission tower atop a 15-storey ...
,
AMP Building,
25 Martin Place, and the
Australia Square
Australia Square Tower is an office and retail complex in the central business district of Sydney. Its main address is 264 George Street, and the Square is bounded on the northern side by Bond Street, eastern side by Pitt Street and southern s ...
tower in 1967 at 170 metres tall (558 ft), which was Australia's first true
skyscraper as defined as rising above or at least 150 metres high. Since 2020,
Crown Sydney
Crown Sydney (also referred to as One Barangaroo) is a skyscraper in Barangaroo, New South Wales, Australia. Designed by WilkinsonEyre, it stands at a height of with 75 floors, making it the tallest building in Sydney and 4th tallest build ...
has been Sydney's tallest building and the 4th tallest building in Australia, rising to a height of 271 metres (889 ft).
History
19th century
Sydney played host to Australia's first tallest building in 1824 with the construction of
St James' Church. Standing at a height of 52 metres (170 ft), it was commissioned by Governor
Lachlan Macquarie in 1819, designed by
Francis Greenway
Francis Howard Greenway (20 November 1777 – September 1837) was an English-born architect who was transported to Australia as a convict for the crime of forgery. In New South Wales he worked for the Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, as Australia' ...
and constructed between 1820 and 1824 using
convict labour. The partially complete
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings an ...
, built in
Victorian Second Empire style, surpassed this height in 1878 with the completion of its clock tower that stood at a height of 57 metres (187 ft). This title was briefly held until the completion of the
Garden Palace
The Garden Palace was a large, purpose-built exhibition building constructed to house the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879 in Sydney, Australia. It was designed by James Barnet and constructed by John Young, at a cost of £191,800 in on ...
in 1879, standing at a height of 64 m (210 ft). The Garden Palace likewise only held this title as tallest briefly, after its demise from a fire in 1882. Hence, the
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings an ...
once again became Sydney's tallest until 1891 with the completion of the
General Post Office. Standing at a height of 73 m (239 ft), the GPO was at the time described upon opening by the Postmaster General as a building that "will not be surpassed by any other similar structure in the southern hemisphere".
20th century
![Circular Quay with Sydney skyline, 1920 - 1929](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Circular_Quay_with_Sydney_skyline%2C_1920_-_1929.jpg)
Towards the end of the 19th century and throughout the beginning of the 20th century, advances in building technology and design coupled with rising urban land values meant that high rise buildings became an attractive proposition in Sydney.
Considered to be Sydney's first high-rise office building, Culwulla Chambers, was completed in 1912 and stood at a height of . Designed by Spain, Cosh and Minnett, the building consisted of 14 floors and cost £100,000 to build, equivalent of approximately $1 million in today's money. This new wave of construction of taller buildings consequently raised concerns over fire risks, namely the inadequate firefighting resources of the period that failed to reach such heights. The fire in the 8 storey
Anthony Hordern & Sons building in 1901, which resulted in the death of 5 people, was notably one of the first cases to raise such concerns. In 1907, Alfred Webb; the then Superintendent of the
Sydney Metropolitan Fire Brigade, described how it was "a suicidal policy to allow buildings of 100 feet to go up. Our extension ladders rise to a height of 80 feet, and it might be possible to add another 10 feet to them; but the effectiveness of their working is materially decreased as the height is added to." Additionally, public backlash against increased heights also became apparent during this period, primarily stemming from sentiments that taller buildings did not match the aesthetic of Sydney's streetscape and that they would become a source of increased overcrowding and congestion.
As a result, the ''Height of Buildings Act'' was passed in 1912, which limited all new buildings to a height of 46 metres (150 feet). This restriction would go on to stunt the height of Sydney's buildings, lasting until 1957.
Despite these height restrictions, 1939 saw the completion of the
AWA Tower
The AWA Tower is a heritage-listed office and communications complex in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia built for Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited. The AWA Tower consists of a radio transmission tower atop a 15-storey ...
, which finally surpassed the
General Post Office's title as Sydney's tallest after 48 years. At a height of 112 metres (367 ft), the AWA tower also became the city's first building to surpass a height of 100 metres (328 ft), and would go on to stay as the tallest until 1962.
1960s and 1970s
With growing demand for office space, the abolition of the 46 metre (150 feet) height limit in 1957 saw a subsequent construction boom for taller buildings beginning in the late 50s through to the early 1960s. During this period, Sydney played host to the construction of various new towers that would subsequently stand as the tallest in the nation. In 1962, the
modernist
Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
AMP Building was completed, becoming the tallest building in Australia at a height of 115 metres (377 ft). Shortly after,
Australia Square
Australia Square Tower is an office and retail complex in the central business district of Sydney. Its main address is 264 George Street, and the Square is bounded on the northern side by Bond Street, eastern side by Pitt Street and southern s ...
was completed in 1967, also taking the title tallest in Australia at 170 metres (558 ft). At the time, Australia Square was the world's tallest
light weight concrete
Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a lightweight, precast, foam concrete building material suitable for producing concrete masonry unit like blocks. Composed of quartz sand (SiO2 with impurities), calcined calcium sulfate (CaSO4, a.k. ...
building
and was also the first true skyscraper in Australia at over 150 metres (492 ft) as defiined by the
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design. A non-profit organization based at the Monroe Building in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States ...
.
Following this, the 1970s saw Sydney continue its construction boom and status as the city with the nation's tallest buildings. In 1976, the
AMP Centre
The Quay Quarter Tower is a skyscraper located at 50 Bridge Street, Sydney. Originally built as the AMP Centre in 1976, the structure underwent a redevelopment from 2018 to 2021 which increased its height, incorporated additional floorspace, an ...
(now the Quay Quarter Tower) was completed, standing at a record height of 188 metres (616 ft). This title was short-lived, with the completion of the
Harry Seidler
Harry Seidler (25 June 19239 March 2006) was an Austrian-born Australian architect who is considered to be one of the leading exponents of Modernism's methodology in Australia and the first architect to fully express the principles of the B ...
designed
MLC Centre
25 Martin Place (formerly the MLC Centre) is a skyscraper in Sydney, Australia. Designed by architect Harry Seidler, it stands at a height of 228 metres (748 ft) with 67 storeys, and remains one of his most definitive works. The building ...
in 1977, which stood at a height of 228 metres, the first building in Australia to surpass 200 metres (656 ft).
1980s and 1990s
Since 1981, the
Sydney Tower
Sydney Tower is the tallest structure in Sydney, Australia, and the second-tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere. It has also been known as ''Centrepoint Tower'', ''AMP Tower'', and colloquially as'' Flower Tower'', ''Glower To ...
has stood as the tallest
structure in Sydney at , though as an
observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, an ...
, it fails to be classified as a building as defined by architectural standards set by the
CTBUH
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design. A non-profit organization based at the Monroe Building in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States ...
.
In 1992, the
Chifley Tower
Chifley Tower is a skyscraper in Sydney, Australia. It was designed by New York City-based architects Travis McEwen and Kohn Pedersen Fox, with John Rayner as project architect. At a height of 244 metres (801 feet), Chifley Tower was the talles ...
became the tallest building in Sydney at a height of 244 metres (801 ft). The 1990s was also a period which saw the construction of numerous residential skyscrapers, starting with The Peak in 1996 at a height of 168 metres (551 ft), followed by the
Century Tower in 1997 at a height of 183 metres (600 ft).
21st century
A
height restriction implementation persisted in Sydney's building regulations well into the early 2010s. However, this height restriction was lifted in 2016, allowing buildings to be built as high as on condition that public spaces were not overshadowed. This was further raised to at the end of 2019.
Sydney's most recent residential tower, 505 George Street, will rise 270 metres, comprising 80 stories much of it serviced apartments. As the tower penetrates Sydney Airport's Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) it will require an Aeronautical Impact assessment approval.
The current tallest building in Sydney, and the fourth tallest in Australia is
Crown Sydney
Crown Sydney (also referred to as One Barangaroo) is a skyscraper in Barangaroo, New South Wales, Australia. Designed by WilkinsonEyre, it stands at a height of with 75 floors, making it the tallest building in Sydney and 4th tallest build ...
. Completed in 2020 it stands at a height of , overtaking the
Chifley Tower's previous title as tallest in Sydney, standing at a height of 244 metres (801 feet).
Tallest buildings
This list ranks completed buildings in Sydney that stands at least 150 m (492 ft) tall, including new buildings which have fully reached their architectural height. All structures are measured to the highest architectural detail, including spires.
Note:
Sydney Tower
Sydney Tower is the tallest structure in Sydney, Australia, and the second-tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere. It has also been known as ''Centrepoint Tower'', ''AMP Tower'', and colloquially as'' Flower Tower'', ''Glower To ...
is not included as it is defined as a structure, as opposed to a building.
Skylines
Tallest buildings proposed, approved and under construction
This is a list of 150m+ proposed, approved and under construction skyscrapers in Sydney.
Timeline of tallest buildings
This list includes buildings that once stood as tallest in Sydney.
See also
*
List of tallest buildings in Chatswood
These are lists of the tallest buildings in Chatswood, New South Wales, Chatswood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In accordance with Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, CTBUH guidelines, heights are measured to the structural heigh ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Parramatta
*
List of tallest buildings in Australia
*
List of tallest buildings and structures in Australia
Formerly, the tallest structure in Australia was the Omega Navigational Mast Woodside in Woodside, Victoria.
The Omega Tower was demolished by Liberty Industrial on behalf of the Department of Defence on 22 April 2015 following the death of a ...
*
Buildings and architecture of Sydney
The architecture of Sydney, Australia’s oldest city, is not characterised by any one architectural style, but by an extensive juxtaposition of old and new architecture over the city's 200-year history, from its modest beginnings with local m ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Oceania
This is a list of the tallest buildings in Oceania which measures all buildings to the highest architectural detail. This list does not include the Sky Tower in Auckland, which is taller than the buildings listed but is considered a freestanding s ...
* ''
''
References
Emporis(General database for Skyscrapers)
{{Sydney
*
Sydney
Tallest