Melbourne's Australia 108 Tower Is Now Home to Two Infinity Pools 212 Metres Above the Ground
They also cantilever four metres over the street — and they're among the highest pools in the world.
In 2020, Melbourne officially gained its new tallest building — and the tallest residential building in the whole Southern Hemisphere. Named Australia 108, the Southbank building features 100 storeys soaring 319 metres high, which is more than 20 metres above the city's previous tallest building, the 88-storey, 297.3-metre-tall Eureka Tower. It comes just under Gold Coast's 332.5-metre-tall Q1, though, which still holds the title of Australia's tallest building.
Stretching high into the sky is just one of Australia 108's achievements, however. Letting residents swim in two of the highest infinity pools in the world is another — and those pools are now open. They're trapezoidal-shaped, and sit on level 70 of the building, which means they're located 212 metres above the ground.
Both pools measure 18 metres in length and 5.3 metres in width at their widest point. They cantilever out over the street below by four metres, too. In the north pool, swimmers can peer out over Melbourne's skyline. In the south, expect to check out Port Phillip Bay, Albert Park Lake and the Dandenong Ranges while you're splashing around.
The pools form part of the building's two-storey Star Club, which is located in the protruding gold Starburst — a design feature that was inspired by the Commonwealth star on the Australian flag. The whole 2800-square-metre club is now open as well, complete with dining rooms, a theatre, two gyms and a vertical sky-garden.
Star Club also includes lounges and meeting spaces, with developer World Class Global envisaging it as both a community hub and an option for folks working remotely. The company spearheaded the building alongside architects Fender Katsalidis, who also led the design of the Eureka Tower.
If you're keen on a sky-high swim — or to check out the tower's sauna and steam room, gym, lap pool and golf simulator on its 11th level — it costs a pretty penny. Apartments are split into the Sky Rise Residences (up to level 67) and the luxury Cloud Residences (from level 72 and above) and, according to Realestate.com.au, the main penthouse sold for $25 million and a two-storey apartment on level 90-91 was on the market for a bargain $10 million.
Australia 108 is located at 70 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank. For more information, head to the building's website.
