Melbourne Star
| The Southern Star | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Closed |
| Location | Melbourne Docklands |
| Coordinates | 37°48′40″S 144°56′13″E / 37.8110723°S 144.9368763°E |
| Opening | 20 December 2008 |
| Cost | A$100 million |
| Owner | ING Real Estate |
| Height | |
| Roof | 120 m (394 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Sanoyas Hishino Meisho |
| Developer | Alfasi Group |
The Southern Star, currently nonoperational, is an observation wheel in the Waterfront City precinct at Melbourne Docklands in Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. It is 120 m (390 ft) high, the equivalent of a forty storey building.[1] The wheel is similar in concept to the London Eye, which is 135 m (443 ft) high.[2] After operating for only one month, the wheel is now indefinitely out of operation, pending major repairs.
History
The project, undertaken by ING Real Estate and managed by Hansen Yuncken, cost A$100 million to construct between 2006 and 2008, and was expected to attract 1.5 million visitors each year.
The outer ring of the wheel was completed on 1 March 2008. The passenger pods arrived onsite on 10 June 2008 for installation. By 20 October 2008, the pods were receiving their fit out.[3] An opening date of 28 November 2008 was set only to be postponed due to delays in procuring parts and bad weather. The wheel opened on 20 December 2008.[1][3][4][5]
In January 2009, approximately one month after its opening, the Southern Star observation wheel was shut down indefinitely after structural defects, including buckling and cracks, were detected. The operators initially blamed the 2009 Southeastern Australia heat wave for causing the damage. It is not known when the wheel will reopen.[6][7]
The wheel is currently (Sept 2010) fully disassembled, with only the support structure standing.[citation needed]
Upon further investigation, engineers working on the wheel discovered the cracks were not caused by the heatwave but rather a problem in the original design. Fourteen cracks have been found in the steel.[8]
World Tourist Attractions submitted a proposal to the Commonwealth Government for the acquisition of the land and assets on the site from ING Real Estate.[3]
Specifications
The structure consists of 1,250 t (1,230 long tons; 1,380 short tons) of steel and 3.7 km (2.3 mi) of LED lighting. The supporting steel columns were manufactured in Tasmania by Alfasi Group, and the wheel structure was manufactured in the Greater Melbourne suburb of Dandenong.
The 21 5.7 m (19 ft) long and 3.7 m (12 ft) high air-conditioned enclosed capsules were imported from Sanoyas Hishino Meisho in Osaka, Japan. Each can accommodate up to 20 passengers, and provides extensive views of the city and Port Phillip Bay and as far as Geelong.[9]
References
- ^ a b c "The Southern Star". The Southern Star. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
- ^ a b Kelly, Jan (2006-05-30). "Work to spin Ferris wheel". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) [dead link] - ^ a b c Royall, Ian (2008-10-20). "Man seeks to propose to girlfriend in new Southern Star wheel". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) [dead link] - ^ Rennie, Reko (2008-10-27). "Melbourne's big wheel to open next month". The Age. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Rennie, Reko (2008-12-19). "After the spin, Melbourne's wheel ready to turn". The Age. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Wheel Closure". The Southern Star. 2009-01-30. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ^ Cooper, Mex (2009-02-02). "Heat Closes Melbourne's Southern Star". The Age. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ^ "Design fault to keep wheel shut". The Age. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
- ^ "The Southern Star Observation Wheel". The Southern Star. 2008-04-28. Archived from the original on 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
External links
