Chifley Tower, Office tower in Sydney, Australia
Chifley Tower is a 53-storey office skyscraper at 2 Chifley Square in Sydney. Its shaft is clad in tan stone or concrete panels with grids of rectangular windows, and a rounded glass section runs up the left side of the facade, framed by an arch-like band near the top. A midrise podium surrounds the tower.
The tower opened in 1992 on the site of the Commonwealth Centre, a federal government building demolished in the 1980s. It was first named Bond Tower after Alan Bond; after his bankruptcy Kumagai Gumi acquired it and renamed it Chifley Tower in 1993. A 3-metre lightning rod added in 2000 raised its height from 241 to 244 metres.
The square takes its name from Ben Chifley, the former Australian Prime Minister, and a giant two-dimensional sculpture of him stands at its southwestern corner. The tower's podium curves to mirror Qantas House opposite, completing the semicircular plaza that planners modelled on a Parisian square. The retail arcade in the podium is called Chifley Plaza.
The building has 29 elevators and is most accessible to visitors during business hours when office spaces are active. Those wishing to see the plaza can access it from the street at any time.
The building contains a 400-ton steel pendulum suspended by eight wires near the rooftop. This system prevents the tower from swaying excessively during strong wind gusts.
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