SECRETS BEHIND AN ICON
THE man behind the Gold Coast’s most famous building has revealed its secrets to mark 15 years since its completion.
Sunland completed work on Surfers Paradise’s Q1 on October 28, 2005, making it the world’s tallest residential tower.
While it has since lost that title, Sunland founder Soheil Abedian said the tower looms large as an icon of the city. He delved into the story behind the Q1:
1: Design: The tower was inspired by both the Sydney Opera House and the Olympic torch used in the 2000 Olympics.
“We said, what if we created a tower inspired by the opera house,” Mr Abedian said.
“If you look at how Australia is promoted internationally, you always see the Q1 as a symbol of the progressive mood.”
2: Height: The tower was a joint venture with Brisbane’s Anderson family which owned the land which Q1 was built upon. When announced in August 2000, the Q1 was originally 63-storeys but would increase to 78 floors.
3: It’s got a twin: In the late 2000s, Sunland built a twin to the Q1 in the United Arab Emirates. Known as D1, it is 284m tall and
was finished in 2015. It was built next to Dubai’s Palazzo Versace.
4: Ian Thorpe: Swimming star Ian Thorpe was among the earliest investors in the project, buying a two-bedroom unit for $950,000. He would later sell it for more than $1m when he relocated to the US.
5: September 11: The design was altered in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. “Everyone thought ‘oh my god could this be a target?’” he said. “We had to work with the engineers to make sure it would withstand the impact of a plane.”