The Skyneedle, Brisbane facts for kids
The Skyneedle is a famous tall tower in Brisbane, Australia. It was built especially for a big event called World Expo 88. This event happened in 1988 and brought many people to Brisbane.
The Skyneedle is 88 meters (about 289 feet) tall. After Expo '88, there were plans to move it to Tokyo Disneyland. But a famous hairdresser named Stefan Ackerie bought it instead. He moved the Skyneedle to his company's main office in South Brisbane. After buying it, Stefan added his company's colorful rainbow rings logo to the very top of the tower.
Contents
The Skyneedle's Bright Light
The Skyneedle has a very powerful light. This light can shine a beam that can be seen up to 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) away! However, you don't often see this light on. It's usually only turned on for special events. This is because of safety rules for airplanes flying near Brisbane Airport.
Fire and Fixes
On November 4, 2006, the Skyneedle caught fire. This happened because of an electrical problem. It was actually the second time this had happened, as there was a similar fire in 1988. Later investigations found that bird droppings probably caused the electrical fault.
Stefan Ackerie said he would fix the Skyneedle to make it look great again. On November 5, 2006, he also shared exciting news. He said the Skyneedle would get new technology, including a sound system!
New Technology and Lights
On March 14, 2009, the top 22-meter (about 72-foot) part of the Skyneedle was taken off. Stefan announced that this section was being rebuilt with cool new laser technology.
The Skyneedle, with its new lights, was shown for the first time on Thursday, April 23, 2009. It was officially turned on by Stefan and Channel Nine weatherman Garry Youngberry. This happened on Friday, May 1, during the 6 PM news. The new light show uses colorful RGB LED lights from Italy. It also has very strong German-made spotlights. However, by 2019, the Skyneedle's light system had stopped working again.
Future Plans
In April 2015, Stefan Ackerie announced that he was selling the Skyneedle. He also sold the land around it to a company called Pradella Group. This company planned to build a 12-story apartment building around the tower.
The Brisbane City Council approved this building plan in August 2015. The Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said that the Skyneedle would be a part of the new apartments. He also said that a cafe would open right underneath it.
Images for kids
-
The Skyneedle at
World Expo 88 -
The Skyneedle at
World Expo 88 -
The Skyneedle (2006)
-
The Skyneedle (2014)
(taken from Edmondstone Street) -
The Skyneedle (2018)
(During the construction of Skyneedle Apartments)
.jpg)
.jpg)
