Construction has begun in Sydney on a 33-storey “pencil tower” which, once completed, will become one of the narrowest skyscrapers in the world. The building is going up in the Haymarket area on a site with a frontage just 6.4 metres wide.
The site covers about 345 square metres. The skyscraper will house a 173-room hotel, and the building will be served by just two passenger lifts.
The project on Pitt Street spent several years going through the approval process. The architectural concept was developed by Durbach Block Jaggers, whose design was selected in 2021.
The construction application was prepared by the consultancy Mecone.
“Each hotel room will be extremely compact, almost like a train compartment,” said architect Neil Durbach.
The lack of space in the rooms is meant to be offset by large communal areas. The building will include, among other things, a swimming pool on the top floor and a spacious public area at the base.
The project has drawn a mixed reaction. Some observers praised the architectural and technical solutions, while others questioned the wisdom of building such a narrow high-rise.
