SYDNEY SKY-SCRAPER

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1928, Page 1

SYDNEY SKY-SCRAPER

BUILDING OF 18 STOREYS. “SUN” NEWSPAPER OFFICES. At the rate of a iloor a week, the concreting of the new “Sun’’ building, in Elizabeth stret, Sydney, is. being rushed ahead. Already six of the 18 floors have been concreted, and it is estimated that, given reasonably fino weather, the whole of the concreting will be finished in ten weeks.

Already the steelwork is completed up to the eleventh floor. Eight months ago the site of the new building consisted of a great square hole in the solid sandstone, cut ns neatly anil cleanly as an incision in a vast piece of cheese. AA’ben the building is completed—and it is expected that within the next 12 months the last workman will have left it—there will bo.on this site 1800 tons of steel and 4,700 tons of concrete. Four floors will be below the level of Phillip street, and 14 above it. These figures, of course, include mezanine floors.

Tho work at present is proceeding steadily and methodically. As soon as the concreting of a iloor is completed tlie tradesmen come in and do their bit—that is to say, the bricklayers put in the brick panels that will be the walls, and they are followed by the plasterers, tilers, and fixers. As soon as one set of tradesmen have finished they move to. the floor above to bo followed by others on the iloor they have just left. HUMAN SPIDERS.

For instance, a week or two ago the plasterers wore at work on the walls and pillars and beams of the lowest floor—many feet below Phillip and Elizabeth streets. On the floor above men are cementing and plastering the walls. Higher still, workmen are to •bo seen pulling -down the board “boxes” that Hold the conorete in position while it was setting, while high in' the air, like spiders spinning iiivis* iblo webs among the interwoven branches of some metal tree, are men piecing together the great -beams and pillars of steel that make the skeleton of the building. And on the Elizabeth street front, the polished granite facing is' already being put into place. This granite highly iHilished, is quarried in New South AValcs.

The si>eed of tho concreting has Been facilited by the invention of Mr AVills, the young foreman of the contractors. This invention, which is simplicity itself, has been patented, It consists of small steel brackets which hold the concrete “boxes” ,to the beams. It is claimed that it makes for cleaner and straighten work, and that it means that the job can be done five or six times as fast as by the old methods.

Already the installation of machinery has been started, in tho bottom floor. Hero the great presses which .turn out tlie paper will he located. By the end of November one unit of the plant will bo in, while by next March all tho machinery will ibo in position. Tho building, when finished will in many respects be “something different,” It will be tlie deepest in. Sydney—four floors below ground level, and there will be no building higher.

The front of it will fie strikingly beautiful, in tlie Gothic style, having large lower windows with ciiculai heads, some small spires and beautiful lines and arches. The front will be surmounted by a huge golden ball representing the sun. Altogether it will be a piece of architecture of which any city might bo pfoud.