Q1


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Q1
322,5 metres/1,058 feet
78 stories
Completed: 2005
When completed it was the 17th tallest building and
tallest all-residential building in the world;

Some Q1 facts and figures:
- the building can be found in Surfers Paradise,
which is part of Gold Coast City in the state of Queensland, in Australia.
- designed by Atelier SDG, developed by the Sunland Group Ltd., and built by Sunland Constructions;
- the name Q1 refers to Queensland number One,
but another story tells that the name was given in honour of members of Australia’s Olympic sculling team of the 1920s – Q1;
- building costs were approximately US$ 307 million;
- tallest building in Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia, and Southern Hemisphere.
- according to the information to be found in the observatory area of Q1
the spire on top is 97,7m/320f tall. It starts at the 75th floor level,
is made up of 12 sections and weighs 87.2 tonnes.
It extends 47m/154f above the glass fin (at the 275m/904f level).
- from level 60-69, the building has a ten-story skygarden,
which holds a 30m/98f high rainforest.
- the building has a two-story observatory on the 77th and 78th floor.
Costs to go up are 16,50 Australian Dollars (us$ 12,-/euro 9,60);
the observatory gives you 360-degree views from the 235m/771f level.
It's the world's only beach-side observation deck.
- the tower has 10 elevators; the fastest being the one that reaches the observatory,
travelling at 9 metres per second; 540 metres per minute;
including getting in and getting out of the elevator,
the trip up or down only takes about 45 seconds!
- if you don't want to go by elevator, but want to take the steps up,
then you have to go up 1,330 steps, from ground level to the observatory.
- the buildings has 527 apartments, consisting of one Penthouse, 12 sub-penthouses,
213 one-bedroom, 184 two-bedroom, and 117 three-bedroom apartments.
The penthouse was apparently sold for $ 12 million to Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe.
It became the most expensive apartment in Queensland.
- The building's penthouse on the 74th floor also has the highest swimming pool
in Australia at 217m above ground.
- the building is supported by 22 piles (each two metres in diameter)
that go 45m/148f into the ground and rest on solid rock;
- the building can sway to a maximum of 600mm;
- the design of Q1 is inspired by the spirit and lifestyle of Australia and its shape reflects
the elements of the Olympic Torch and the Sydney Opera House;
- the building was officially opened on October 26, 2005; construction started in July of 2002.

Some more facts:
- construction required 32,640 man weeks to complete
-1,632,000 hours on site, plus 800,000 hours in off-site works;
- the building consists of:
18,926 panes of glass, totalling 14,350 square metres and weighing 311 tonnes;
9,500 tonnes of reinforcing steel plus 250 tonnes of steel in the roof spire and crown;
34,500 square metres of curtain wall glazing
1,000 kilometres of electrical cable were used throughout the building
- 2,500 people contributed to the on-site construction of Q1.



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