Central Park (skyscraper) facts for kids

This article is about Central Park (disambiguation). For other uses, see Central Park (skyscraper) (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Central Park
Central Park tower in 2017
General information
Type	Office tower
Location	152–158 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia
Coordinates	31°57′13.2″S 115°51′20.2″E / 31.953667°S 115.855611°E / -31.953667; 115.855611
Construction started	1988
Completed	1992
Opening	1992
Cost	A$186.5 million
Owner	Perron Group
Height
Antenna spire	249 m (816.9 ft)
Roof	226 m (741.5 ft)
Top floor	205 m (672.6 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	51 (occupied)
Floor area	66,500 m² (716,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators	18
Design and construction
Architect	Forbes & Fitzhardinge
Structural engineer	Bruechle Gilchrist & Evans
Main contractor	Multiplex

Central Park is a huge 51-storey office building in Perth, Western Australia. It stands 226 m (741 ft) tall from the ground to its roof. If you measure to the very tip of its antenna, it reaches 249 m (817 ft) high!

When it was finished in 1992, Central Park became the tallest building in Perth. It is still the tallest building in the western part of Australia. It is also one of the ten tallest buildings in all of Australia.

Building such a big tower was a bit tricky. The city council had rules about how large buildings could be. They also had rules about how many parking spaces they could have. The developers wanted to build a much taller tower with lots more parking than usually allowed. Some people worried about the extra traffic this would cause.

The building is made with a strong mix of steel and concrete. It has different sections that step back as the building goes higher. This means the top floors are smaller than the ones below. Strong supports inside help the building stand firm against the wind. At the bottom of the tower, there is a small park. The building is named after this park.

History of Central Park
Design of Central Park
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

History of Central Park

From Stores to Skyscraper

For many years, starting in the 1930s, the land where Central Park now stands was home to a large department store. People knew it as Foy's. It was a popular place with big window displays. It even had a cafeteria!

Later, the store became a David Jones department store. But by the late 1970s, David Jones left Western Australia. The site then sat empty for a while. It had been a well-known spot in the city for decades.

In 1986, a group of companies bought the land. They planned to build something new and exciting there.

Planning the Big Tower

In 1985, plans were announced for a huge redevelopment. This included a 45-storey office tower, underground parking, and a new park. They also wanted to extend a shopping street called Hay Street Mall.

By 1986, demolition of the old buildings had begun. The planned tower had grown even bigger, to 47 floors.

Getting approval for the building was not easy. The city council had rules to prevent too much traffic. These rules limited how many parking spots a building could have. This site was only allowed 300 parking bays. However, the developers wanted 1,175 parking spots! City experts warned this would cause huge traffic jams.

After a long discussion, the city council finally approved the plans in October 1987. They made special exceptions to allow the extra parking and the very tall building. More than half of the tower's 51 floors were allowed because of these special permissions. Some council members and the State's Planning Minister thought the building was "too big." They worried it would set a "dangerous example."

The State Government approved the plans in November 1987. A company called Multiplex was chosen to build the tower.

Building Central Park: 1988 to 1992

Construction on Central Park began in 1988. The engineers for the project were from a company called Bruechle Gilchrist & Evans.

The building was put together using a special "modular" method. This means that large parts, like floor sections, were made somewhere else. Then, they were brought to the building site and lifted into place. Even the bathrooms arrived as complete units, ready to be installed! This made the construction process very efficient.

The main structure of Central Park was finished in 1992. The communications mast was the last big piece to be put on top. The first businesses started moving into their offices in May 1992. The public park at the base of the tower was finished in early 1993.

Building Central Park cost about A$186.5 million. Once it was done, it became the tallest skyscraper in Perth. It also had the most office space in the city.

Life After Construction

Gardens at the base of Central Park

Since it opened, Central Park has been known as one of Perth's best office towers. However, for a few years after it opened, it was hard to find enough businesses to rent all the office space.

Today, the tower has 66,500 m² (716,000 sq ft) of office and shop space across its 51 floors. Big companies like Rio Tinto and WeWork have offices there. The Rio Tinto logo was even placed on the top of the tower in 2015.

In 1999, strong winds during a storm caused some parts of the canopy over the building's entrance to come loose. The entrance had to be closed for safety.

Since 2001, Central Park has hosted an annual stair climb race. People race up all 53 flights of stairs to the roof! This event helps raise money for charity.

Central Park has remained the tallest building in Perth since it was completed.

Design of Central Park

Central Park was the fourth and largest part of a plan for the area. This plan was created by architects Forbes & Fitzhardinge. The design of the tower changed a few times during planning.

The building is 226 m (741 ft) tall to its roof. It reaches 249 m (817 ft) to the top of its communications antenna.

Two of the triangular side wings of the tower, seen with the outriggers above them which provide added stability to the structure.

The tower has a strong frame made of steel and concrete. It also has a special concrete core in the middle that helps make it very stiff. This design helps the building sway less in strong winds. Even with this special design, the very top of the tower can still move about 30 cm (12 in) in strong winds.

Using a central core means there are fewer columns inside the building. This gives more open space on each floor for offices. The large columns are made of steel and concrete. The floor sections are made off-site and then put into place.

The building has many "setbacks," which means the upper floors are smaller than the lower ones. This allows for different sized office spaces. The tower is shaped like a square with triangular sections sticking out from two sides. It was designed to make the best use of the land. The outside of the building is covered with aluminum and glass.

Central Park has 5,000 sheets of glass! Window cleaners have to clean them twice a year. Because of high winds, it can take up to three months to clean all the windows once. The cleaners move vertically over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to get the job done!

When it opened, Central Park was very modern. It had a "fully computerised air conditioning" system. This system uses 1,400 sensors on each floor to control temperatures and save energy. From the top floors, you can see amazing views of Kings Park and the Indian Ocean. However, the public can only visit the top floors on special charity days.

The base of the building is covered in stone. The main entrance area has beautiful murals by artist Brian McKay. Besides the 64,000 m² (690,000 sq ft) of office space, there are also 3,000 m² (32,000 sq ft) of shops and 1,030 underground parking spots.

The site also includes a 5,000 m² (54,000 sq ft) landscaped park. This park is meant to be a "breathing space" in the busy city. It has sunken seating areas, grassy spots, and a fountain. There is also a large plaza that connects to St Georges Terrace. People have called the park "magnificent" and the "green lungs of the city."