Sentinel (building) facts for kids
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The Sentinel is a very tall building in Takapuna, a busy area in North Shore City, New Zealand. It's often called The Sentinel or Sentinel Tower. This building is a special type of skyscraper where people live. It's the tallest building in North Shore City, standing 150 meters high, including its spire. The Sentinel opened its doors to its first residents in February 2008.
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The Sentinel: A Tall Building in Takapuna
The Sentinel is a landmark in Takapuna. It has 30 floors and offers amazing views. From its windows, you can see the Waitemata Harbour, which is a large bay, and the wider Hauraki Gulf, which is part of the ocean. You can also see the skyline of Auckland CBD, which is the main city center of Auckland.
Living in The Sentinel
The Sentinel is home to many people. It has 117 apartments inside. The very top two floors make up one huge apartment called a penthouse. This penthouse is 675 square meters, which is a very big living space! It was sold in 2007 for NZ$11 million.
Residents of The Sentinel can enjoy many cool features. On the fourth floor, there's a special area just for them. It includes a large heated swimming pool, which is 25 meters long and 6 meters wide. There's also a spa, a sauna, and a gym. Outside, there are nice landscaped gardens where people can relax.
Design and Look
The Sentinel has some interesting design ideas, called motifs. You can see squares used a lot in the building's glass front and in smaller details. The building's outside also looks a bit like a woven flax basket, which is a traditional New Zealand craft. This is hinted at in the criss-cross pattern on the outside. The spire at the very top of the building looks like a sail, especially when you see it from far away across the Hauraki Gulf.
How it Was Built
The Sentinel was built by a company called Multiplex Constructions. It cost NZ$60 million to build. The local government, North Shore City Council, approved the building without a lot of public discussion. This was because they thought having a tall, important building in Takapuna was a good idea. The company that planned the building, Cornerstone Group, first suggested it in 2003. The developer has said that getting permission to build such a big building has become much harder since then.
