Exchange Tower, Perth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Exchange Tower |
|
|---|---|
Exchange Plaza in January 2008
|
|
| Former names | Exchange Plaza |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office tower |
| Location | 2 The Esplanade, Perth, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°57′22.28″S 115°51′31.39″E / 31.9561889°S 115.8587194°E |
| Current tenants | Arup Australian Government Solicitor Etihad Airways Fujitsu Knight Frank Mitsubishi Morgan Stanley |
| Opening | 1992 |
| Owner | Centuria |
| Height | |
| Roof | 146 m (479 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 40 (including basement and plant levels) |
| Floor area | 34,479 m2 (371,130 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Peddle Thorp & Walker |
| Structural engineer | Bruechle Gilchrist & Evans |
| Main contractor | Multiplex |
The Exchange Tower, once known as Exchange Plaza, is a very tall building in Perth, Western Australia. It has 40 floors and stands 146 meters (479 feet) high. This makes it one of the tallest skyscrapers in Perth. The building was finished in 1992.
Contents
Building a Giant: Exchange Tower's Story
The land where Exchange Tower stands has a long history. It belongs to the Weld Club, a special club for gentlemen. The club leased the land to the builders for 135 years.
Building the tower was a big project. Two companies, Australian Guarantee Corporation and a Japanese company, worked together. Construction began in the 1980s. It cost about $220 million to $230 million to build. The company Multiplex built the tower. The highest point was reached in 1991, and the building was fully ready in 1992.
Life After Building: What Happened Next?
Exchange Tower is known as one of Perth's best office buildings. In 2008, some office space in the tower was rented for a very high price. This was the most expensive rent ever seen in Perth at that time.
The building's roof has a cool use too! It has been a launchpad for fireworks. These fireworks are part of the yearly City of Perth Skyworks display.
Who Owns the Tower?
Over the years, the ownership of Exchange Tower has changed several times. In 1992, Westpac bought out the shares from the Japanese companies. Later, in 1997, Schroders Property bought the building's lease for $106 million.
Then, AMP Asset Management took over in 1999. In 2003, Stockland bought half of the building. By 2006, it was owned by Stockland and Colonial First State. AMP Asset Management bought Stockland's share in 2011.
In 2018, the building got a new name: Exchange Tower. Before that, it was called Exchange Plaza. In December 2018, it was sold again to the Primewest Counter Cyclical Trust. Today, the building is owned by Centuria, which took over Primewest in 2021.
Exchange Tower's Cool Design
The architects Peddle Thorp & Walker designed Exchange Tower. It has a strong steel frame. The outside of the building is covered in special blue glass. This glass was made just for this building!
The tower has a conference center with 150 seats. Many offices in the building have amazing views. You can see Perth Water and even Rottnest Island on a clear day.
There are 33 floors of offices in the building. It also has three floors for building equipment and five basement levels for parking cars. There are 236 parking spots! A smaller 10-story building is also part of the complex.
To make sure the historic Weld Club looked good next to the new tower, the builders used old bricks and tiles. They even had to dig up and then replace the club's bowling green to build the car park.
