Melbourne Star
| Melbourne Star | |
|---|---|
 Southern Star prior to its 2009 closure | |
 | |
| Former names | Southern Star |
| General information | |
| Status | Closed since January 2009, reopening late December 2013 |
| Type | Ferris wheel |
| Location | Melbourne Docklands, Australia |
| Construction started | 30 June 2006[1] |
| Completed | 20 December 2008[2] |
| Cost | A$100 million (estimate)[3] |
| Owner | Sanoyas[4] |
| Height | 120 m (394 ft)[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Sanoyas[5] |
| Main contractor | Hansen Yuncken[6] |
The Melbourne Star (previously Southern Star)[7] is a giant Ferris wheel in the Waterfront City precinct in the Docklands area of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia.
Described by its operators as "the Southern Hemisphere’s only giant observation wheel",[8] it is 120 m (394 ft) tall and has seven spokes, reflecting the seven-pointed star of the Australian flag.[9]
It opened two years behind schedule in December 2008, but then closed 40 days later due to structural defects, and was subsequently dismantled for major repairs. Reconstruction began in January 2011 and was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of that year, but was repeatedly delayed. It is now expected to reopen in late December 2013.[10]
A ride (one complete rotation) takes 30 minutes and, according to the Star's website, provides uninterrupted 360-degree views of up to 40 kilometres (25 mi) "encompassing the Docklands precinct, Melbourne’s CBD, Port Phillip Bay and as far as Mount Macedon, Arthur’s Seat and the Dandenong Range."[11]
Construction
The project was undertaken by ING Real Estate and the construction consultant was Hansen Yuncken. The wheel was designed and built by Sanoyas Rides Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese ship and amusement park ride builder Sanoyas Holdings Corporation, and the steel builder was Alfasi Steel Constructions.[5][12]
Construction began in 2006.[5] By 1 March 2008 the outer rim had been completed.[13] The 21 air-conditioned enclosed passenger cabins, built in Osaka, Japan,[1] arrived on site on 10 June 2008[citation needed] and by 20 October 2008 were receiving their fit out.[3] Each cabin weighs 13 tonnes, is 5.7 m (19 ft) long and 3.7 m (12 ft) high, has floor to ceiling glass walls, and can accommodate up to 20 passengers.[14][15]
2008 opening and 2009 closure
The wheel first opened to the public on 20 December 2008,[2] two years behind schedule.[16] Its most recently postponed opening ceremony, scheduled for 28 November 2008,[10] had been cancelled due to bad weather and delays in procuring parts.[2] It had cost an estimated A$100 million to construct and was expected to attract more than one million visitors annually. Tickets cost $29 for adults and $17 for children.[3]
On 30 January 2009,[17] 40 days after opening,[18] the wheel was shut down by WorkSafe after cracks up to three metres (9.8 ft) long were inadvertently discovered by a contract worker installing LED lighting. One node was almost completely torn from its welded joint.[19] Initially the operators blamed the 2009 Southeastern Australia heat wave for causing the damage and it was not known when the wheel would reopen.[17]
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 were found in the steel.[20]
An undated press release on the operator's official website stated: "The Southern Star Observation Wheel was temporarily closed in January 2009. As a result of extensive design and technical reviews a conclusion was reached to build a new wheel."[7]
Reconstruction
Sanoyas, who designed and built the wheel, accepted responsibility for the cracks and undertook its reconstruction under warranty. Consulting engineers Arup, steel builder Alfasi, and construction consultant Hansen Yuncken signed confidentiality agreements preventing them from commenting publicly. Most of the original wheel was sold for scrap, but the main support columns and the passenger cabins were retained and reused.[12]
2009
The reconstruction process began in a factory in South Dandenong in December. At that time, it was expected that a year would pass before the wheel would reopen.[12]
2011
In January the first of the seven replacement spokes, manufactured by BMC in the Latrobe Valley, was delivered to Docklands.[21]
In July the wheel was expected to be turning again by the end of the year.[22]
In October reconstruction was continuing, but no completion date had yet been confirmed.[23]
On 28 November reconstruction work was in progress when the wheel broke free from its restraints and began turning in strong winds, resulting in minor injuries for one of the workers as they fled the site. The next day, Southern Star Management issued a statement saying that bracing used to erect the wheel had failed, and that no final completion date for the wheel had yet been confirmed.[24][25]
In December it was reported that the wheel was not expected to reopen before Easter 2012.[26]
2012
In January it was reported that an international team of experts including Arup (who were involved in both the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer projects) and Hyder Consulting had been engaged in the redesign, and that reconstruction was now expected to be completed before the end of the year.[27][28]
In June it was reported that the then owner ING Real Estate had repeatedly refused to announce an estimated completion date, but that an estimated date might be given at a briefing of state government officials planned for July.[18]
In August it was reported that the wheel could reopen in January 2013, but only if there was "no wind, no rain for the next four months" - an unlikely scenario for Melbourne, "a city renowned for extremely windy springs and rain that washes out the first cricket matches". According to spokesman Ken Davis, 70 per cent of available construction time was being lost each week as cranes and lifts on the site could not operate in bad weather. He also stated that "due to the complexity of the construction process, we are not in a position to make any announcements regarding a 2013 opening date".[29] However, later that same month, after the final section of the rim was installed, he stated "we're hoping it will be completed by the middle of next year".[30]
2013
In January, ING Real Estate advised that it would not reopen until the second half of 2013[31] and on 25 August the date was put back yet again, to March 2014.[32]
On 27 April the wheel was renamed as the Melbourne Star.
On 28 August the first of the wheel's original cabins, which had been in storage since the wheel was dismantled, was reinstalled. This took up to three-quarters of a day each, depending on weather conditions. The only substantial modification was an upgrade of their audio systems.[14]
On 11 October it was announced that Sanoyas had purchased the wheel from ING Real Estate for an undisclosed price, and that Melbourne Star Management Group would continue to manage the wheel.[4][5]
On 25 October, Sanoyas Holdings Corporation president Takashi Ueda announced that the company was aiming to reopen the attraction in ten weeks time. Advertisements for approximately 100 jobs began appearing on the Melbourne Star website and on the 'SEEK' recruiting website.[33]
On 6 December it was reported that construction work had been completed. Spokesman Chris Kelly was quoted as saying "We are now well into the commissioning process, which is the final stage before opening but some activities do remain weather dependent" and that the opening date would be the earliest possible, possibly before the end of the year.[34]
On 15 December a promotional television advertising campaign commenced. No opening date was mentioned in the initial advertisements.[35]
References
- ^ a b "Work to spin Ferris wheel". Herald Sun. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d Rennie, Reko (19 December 2008). "After the spin, Melbourne's wheel ready to turn". The Age. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
- ^ a b c Royall, Ian; Johnston, Matt (20 October 2008). "Man seeks to propose to girlfriend in new Southern Star wheel". Herald Sun. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
- ^ a b "Japanese breathe new life into Docklands ferris wheel project". Herald Sun. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d Stephen Cauchi (11 October 2013). "Melbourne Star bought by its Japanese builder". The Age. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "The Southern Star". The Southern Star. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
- ^ a b "Melbourne Star Observation Wheel". Only Melbourne. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ "Melbourne Star". Melbourne Star. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
- ^ "Docklands Science". Docklands News. March 2013.
- ^ a b Masanauskas, John (6 December 2013). "Melbourne's observation wheel opens this month". Herald Sun. News Ltd. Retrieved 6 December 2013. Cite error: The named reference "opening" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Melbourne Star news". Melbourne Star. Melbourne Star Observation Wheel. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ a b c "Year-long wait as scrapped wheel is rebuilt". The Age. 27 December 2009.
- ^ Look at me, I'm a big wheel now
- ^ a b "Long-delayed milestone for Docklands wheel as first cabin attached". The Age. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
- ^ "The Southern Star Observation Wheel". The Southern Star. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "Opening Date For Melbourne's Southern Star Wheel (Mark 2) Imminent". DesignBuildSource. 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b Cooper, Mex (2 February 2009). "Heat Closes Melbourne's Southern Star". The Age. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
- ^ a b "$100m Southern Star Observation Wheel a broken wreck". Herald Sun. 13 June 2012.
- ^ Houston, Cameron (5 July 2009). "Huge cracks in wheel of misfortune". The Age. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "Design fault to keep wheel shut". The Age. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
- ^ "Observation wheel at a turning point". Herald Sun. 11 January 2011.
- ^ "Docklands attraction making wheel progress". Herald Sun. 31 July 2011.
- ^ "Anger over Docklands' hotel plan". Melbourne Leader. 3 October 2011.
- ^ "Union blames Government for Southern Star Observation Wheel accident". Herald Sun. 29 November 2011.
- ^ "More trouble for Docklands observation wheel". ABC Online. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ^ "Wheel's safety in doubt: union". The Age. 5 December 2011.
- ^ "Melbourne's big wheel of misfortune". Smart Planet. 28 January 2012.
- ^ "Melbourne's Southern Star Wheel To Get 'World First LED Lighting System'". Gizmodo. 30 January 2012.
- ^ "Wheel's misfortune continues, and traders are not happy". The Age. 8 October 2012.
- ^ "Circle complete as Southern Star reinvents the wheel". The Age. 18 October 2012.
- ^ "Wheel's reopening at least six months away". The Age. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ "Docklands traders in spin over 1800-day wait for Melbourne Star wheel fix". Herald Sun 25 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ "Docklands' trouble-plagued observation wheel set to open in ten weeks". Herald Sun. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ Melbourne Star observation wheel set to reopen soon, pending final tests
- ^ "Melbourne Star advertisement". 15 December 2013. 0.5 minutes in. Nine Network & Seven Network. Nine Melbourne and Seven Melbourne.
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