This was published 2 years ago
Crown Sydney Sky Deck: 249-metre high observation deck opens and it's free
By Katherine Scott
Situated on the 83rd floor of Crown Sydney, the Sky Deck is free to visit but bookings are required.
Perched immediately on top of a $100 million residential penthouse apartment, you could say Sydney's new Sky Deck has $100 million dollar views.
And yet, it's completely free.
Crown Sydney's newest attraction launched last month, rather unceremoniously amid some of the wettest Sydney weather on record.
The 180-degree views tick off all the icons – Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and yes, even rival Centrepoint.
Suffice to say, the observation deck hasn't had much of a chance to show off its views.
Last week, the rain clouds cleared for long enough for Traveller to get a tour.
Situated on the 83rd floor, the vantage point is significantly higher than the building's second-highest public spaces, with Crown's lofty rooftop bar CIRQ and signature dining space Oncore by Clare Smyth each topping out at level 26.
A compact holding space prior to reaching the deck is lined with lockers and scrawled with Barangaroo facts.
The experience that takes visitors 249 metres above the sprawling Barangaroo precinct starts in the hotel's grand driveway, where a cheery concierge greets us.
The tours are complimentary and guided but must be booked online in advance.
The whole experience takes little more than 20 minutes from start to finish, with a choice of three Sky Deck tours daily (currently, sessions run at sunrise, 9am and 9.30am, with plans to expand to six tours per day).
It all kicks off with a Welcome to Country presentation, before one of the tall wall panels lining the driveway is revealed to be a secret door.
The door swivels open and we're led to a compact holding space lined with lockers and scrawled with Barangaroo facts.
There are just two of us on the tour today (groups are limited to a maximum of 10, to keep the experience intimate), though we're eventually joined by more Crown staff – two security personnel, who usher us into an elevator.
Brace for an ear-popping ride to the 83rd floor.
The doors open to a corridor featuring a timeline of the Barangaroo area, but before we're treated to the big reveal, we watch a five-minute video highlighting the history of the land.
The clip also includes commentary by Crown Sydney's legendary late principal architect, Chris Wilkinson (who was also behind Singapore's iconic Gardens by the Bay structures), who shares insight into the complex's intricate twisting petal design – no easy feat, according to engineers involved with the project.
At the conclusion of the video, a black curtain opens automatically to reveal the Sky Deck, in gloriously theatrical fashion.
The deck itself is just shy of eight metres wide, but thanks to the building's curved design it enjoys 180-degree views that tick off all the icons – Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and yes, even rival Centrepoint. And oh boy, is it high.
We linger for five minutes or so – truth be told, the sunlight is searingly intense even at 9am – but the views are impressive, stretching out to North Head.
DOES SIZE MATTER?
It's hard not to draw parallels with a certain other Sydney observation deck (ahem, we're looking at you Centrepoint). In fact, the two towering complexes stand starkly opposite one another, locked in a permanent stare-off.
When the 271-metre-high Crown Sydney launched in 2020 it snatched the title of Sydney's tallest building (Centrepoint is technically the tallest "structure," at 391 metres).
And, while we're getting technical about it, Sydney Tower Eye's enclosed observation deck rises 250 metres above the ground, while Crown's platform stands at 249 metres (we're excluding Centrepoint's 268-metre-high outdoor, glass-bottomed Skywalk in this scenario).
But although Sky Deck doesn't offer the 360-degree views of its rival, it also doesn't carry its eye-watering cost, with general admission prices to Sydney Tower's observation deck starting at almost $50 per adult.
With zero cost and never-before-seen vantage points of Sydney Harbour, Sky Deck offers an objectively better value – albeit cosier – viewing proposition for visitors.
HOT TIP
Check the weather before booking, a clear day is imperative. And set the alarm early for a Sky Deck sunrise session (tour start times vary) – with uninterrupted outlooks to the east, you're in for a spectacular show.
THE DETAILS
Sky Deck tours are free. Book at crownsydney.com.au
See also: Twice as big as London Eye: On board the world's largest observation wheel
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