The Skyneedle, Brisbane
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The Skyneedle is a prominent feature of the Brisbane skyline, constructed for Expo '88. Afterwards, the 88 m landmark was earmarked for relocation to Tokyo's Disneyworld.
In a bid to keep the structure as a proud part of Queensland history, hair-dressing mogul Stefan stepped in and purchased the icon only hours before its relocation to Tokyo. Stefan Ackerie likened it to the Eiffel Tower , which was built for the 1889 Paris Exposition. Stefan believes it represented one of the must successful events in Queensland 's history. Its removal would have been a “tragic loss” for Queensland.
The Skyneedle was relocated to the Stefan HQ at South Brisbane. Moving the structure 500 m from the Expo site cost around A$1 million dollars at the time. The move required three teams of engineers.
In 1999, Stefan decided the Skyneedle deserved some freshening up. He engaged Programmed Maintenance Services (PMS) to give the Skyneedle a full repaint and a mechanical systems upgrade as part of a A$250,000 overhaul.
The unique design of the structure presented many challenges, especially in accessing the upper areas. The needle is ultra-sensitive to wind loadings, having a specially designed “damper” system to prevent movement.
PMS designed an innovative solution just for the Skyneedle's repainting—the installation of a “donut” swing stage suspended by cables from the top of the structure to access the lower 60 metres. For the upper 25 metres the company employed a 140 tonne mobile crane which suspended a basket from which PMS staff completed the assignment.
The structure was coated with a high-build metallic polyurethane to ensure maximum protection of the Skyneedle for many years.
The only change Stefan made to the famous icon was to repaint the white rings near the top of the structure to match the company's signature rainbow colours. A chance to put his own “rainbow in the sky”.
The Skyneedle is capable of emitting a beam of light that may be seen 60 km away. Sadly, the Skyneedle's light is rarely seen except on special occasions. The powerful beam, which used to sweep across the Brisbane night sky, has safety implications for flight paths around the Brisbane airport.
On 4 November 2006, the Skyneedle was fire damaged due to an electrical fault. Subsequent investigations have found that the fault was most likely caused by bird droppings. Ackerie has stated that it will be restored to its former glory. On 5 November 2006, Ackerie revealed that the Skyneedle will be technologically overhauled with the additional feature of a sound system.
