The jewel in the crown

The dazzling Sky Deck set to connect all four towers with 360 degree views of Queensland’s capital has hit a major milestone.  

Opening to the public in 2023, visitors to Queen’s Wharf will be treated to panoramic views of the river city in a first of its kind attraction for Brisbane.

This engineering feat set to rival Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands will be a showstopper for the sunshine state, designed to sit 100m above street level boasting sky-high restaurants silhouetted by subtropical landscaping.

The entire curved deck will be 250 metres long, with innovative construction techniques required to install this iconic feature of the development.

In a major milestone for the project, the first oversized steel beam to support the structure between The Grand Star hotel has arrived on-site.

Weighing an impressive 16.4 tonnes, the first beam for the Sky Deck was lifted by two cranes simultaneously to the assembly position on level seven – the future recreational deck.

Senior Project Manager Rick Woodford said the recreation deck is the best place for assembly given the space and proximity to where the Sky Deck components will be lifted into position.

“The first custom beam that’s arrived to site is made from high strength structural steel, forming part of a 25 metre span between the two towers of The Grand Star hotel,” Mr Woodford said.

“Due to the size and scale of these supporting beams, the main spans have been broken into components which will be welded together on site.

“Usually, this type of manufacturing is done in factories, so what we are constructing here is unique for building and not something you see every day.

“Multiplex have engaged the same heavy lifting specialists that worked on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands and Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers.”

The entire Sky Deck will have three separate spans lifted into position using specialist strand-jacking equipment to form the entire viewing platform connection to all the towers on level 23 above The Grand Star hotel.

The future recreation deck where the structure is currently being assembled will be an impressive mixed-use space with amenities for hotel guests and the public, covering an area of 12,000m2, equivalent to more than two football fields of space.

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The $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development is being delivered by Destination Brisbane Consortium – a joint venture led by The Star Entertainment Group alongside its Hong Kong-based partners, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium.