At 297 meters the Eureka Tower in Melbourne is the world's tallest residential building.  It is the tallest building in Melbourne and the second tallest in Australia.  Globally it ranks as the 50th tallest building.  The windows of the top ten floors are 24 carat gold plated.  It is built of reinforced concrete using the slipform method.  This refers to the moving form the concrete is poured into, which moves along the project as the previously poured concrete hardens behind it. 

It has 91 floors and one basement level making it one of only 7 buildings in the world with 90 or more stories.

Designed by Architects Fender Katsadalis it was started in 2002 and officially opened in October of 2006.

It takes its name from the Eureka Stockade which was a rebellion during the Gold Rush of 1854.  This is represented in the design of the building.  The gold crown of the building refers to the gold and the red stripe down the side to the blood that was lost in the battle.  The blue glass cladding and the white stripes represent the Stockade's flag.

Because of the building's proximity to the Yarra River it was not a viable option to excavate underground parking and so there are 84 floors of apartments with the remaining few floors between car park and apartment as communal areas - gym, pool etc.  The Summit Levels (floors 82 to 87) contain only one apartment per floor: each apartment had an original price tag of A$7 million just for the empty space; purchasers still needed to fit out the apartment.

On the 88th floor is the observation deck which is the highest vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere.  There is a small outside Terrace which is closed on windy days.  One of the most exciting features of this sky deck is 'The Edge'.  'The Edge' is a glass cube which projects three meters out of the side of the building - a bit like a sideways lift.  It is quite an experience to stand nearly 300 meters above the ground on a glass floor - all to a soundtrack of breaking glass!

The Eureka Climb is a charity event which is to be held on 22 November this year 2009.  The Eureka climb involves going up 1958 stairs - more stairs than the Empire State Building.  

At the top of the building are two 290-tonne water tanks to slow the swaying motion in windy weather.  It has a 30cm sway. A residents rule book states that  balcony doors and windows must be shut when no one is home.  A red flashing alarm and buzzer alerts residents if a door is open when leaving.  And residents must allow urgent access when staff discover "by electronic monitor or otherwise" a door or window is open in high wind.  There is concern that the wind could create a suction effect and suck possessions out of the building.  Some residents report that the wind in bad weather makes such a racket that it stops them from sleeping.

If you are wondering how long it would take you to get up to your penthouse apartment, the answer is - not long at all.  The lifts travel at 9 m per second and you can be up to the sky deck in less than 40 seconds!

I think I prefer my home on the ground!