SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Robots to raze Sydney Harbour tower

The old Harbour Control Tower at Barangaroo in Sydney will be demolished next month by robots after no other viable uses could be found for the building.

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Sydney's old Harbour Control Tower will soon be demolished by robots in an Australian first.

The specialist method, which has been used for more than a decade in Europe, will use two robots which will slowly "eat away" at the building from top to bottom over eight months.

The company contracted to do the job says the robots will allow Barangaroo Reserve to stay open to the public while minimising disturbance to local businesses and residents.

"We're on a headland, or in a park, we're close to residences and housing so this application is very low impact and suits it perfectly," Liberty Industrial director Clinton Dick said on Tuesday.

The decision to remove the tower at the head of the reserve comes after no alternative uses for the building could be found.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"We looked at a number of re-use options and it just wasn't viable," Barangaroo Reserve project director Peter Funder said.

"It completes the vision we're trying to deliver here of recreating the headland of Barangaroo."


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world