The story of this place
When Q1 Tower opened in November 2005, it claimed a title no Australian building had ever held: tallest residential building in the world. Rising 322.5 metres into the Gold Coast sky, its design was inspired by the Sydney 2000 Olympic torch and the Sydney Opera House—a series of ribbons wrapping around the tower, creating a sense of movement and tension. The building rests on 26 concrete piles, each two metres in diameter, extending 40 metres into the ground through solid rock.
The name Q1 honours Australia's Olympic sculling team of the 1920s. The SkyPoint observation deck on levels 77-78 offers Australia's only beachside observation experience, with 360-degree views from Brisbane to Byron Bay. The express lift travels 77 floors in just 43 seconds at 9.0 metres per second. In 2009, Q1 was named a Q150 Icon of Queensland.