Generally acknowledged as Australia’s first major office tower, Australia Square (1968) was designed by archi-phenomenon Harry Seidler. His 50-storey design assumes a distinctive cylindrical form, with an open plaza at the base and food court below. A vibrant Sol LeWitt lobby mural (2004) replaced a rare Le Corbusier tapestry that hung here for decades before the building’s owner auctioned it off. Head up to O Bar on the rotating 47th floor – jaw-dropping views for the price of a martini.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Wynyard Park

0.12 MILES

Above Wynyard train station is this rare wedge of downtown greenery. Surrounded by skyscrapers and spindly plane trees, it has a certain Manhattan vibe to…

2. St Patrick’s Church

0.16 MILES

This Catholic sandstone church (1844) was built on land donated by William Davis, who was transported to Australia from Ireland without trial due to his…

3. St Philip’s Church

0.16 MILES

Completed in 1856 by architect Edmund Blacket in High Victorian Gothic style, St Philip’s is the latest incarnation of a line descending from Sydney’s…

4. Macquarie Place

0.17 MILES

Beneath some shady Moreton Bay fig trees is this historic triangle. Look for the cannon and anchor from the First Fleet flagship (HMS Sirius), an ornate…

5. Martin Place

0.18 MILES

Studded with imposing edifices, long lean Martin Place was closed to traffic in 1971, forming a terraced pedestrian mall complete with fountains and areas…

6. 5 Martin Place

0.19 MILES

Built in 1916 to be the headquarters for the then-state-owned Commonwealth Bank, 12-storey 5 Martin Place was Australia’s first steel-framed ‘skyscraper’…

7. GPO Sydney

0.2 MILES

As iconic in its time as the Opera House, this beautiful colonnaded sandstone Victorian palazzo (built 1874) was once Sydney’s General Post Office. It has…

8. Governors Phillip & Macquarie Towers

0.21 MILES

Clad in steel, granite and glass, Governor Phillip Tower (1993) is one of Sydney's tallest buildings (254m including antennae). Its distinctive metallic…