This iconic building has been compared to the Sydney Opera House and its facade is starting to shake
It has been described as one of the most recognizable buildings in Australia after the Sydney Opera House, but this icon is set for a face lift.
The Sugar Shaker Hotel in Townsville has defined the city skyline for more than 46 years with its true brown sandstone color.
But now the building’s exterior is being completely repainted, prompting admirers to sift through its history.
The hotel will retain its silhouette, which resembles a sugar whisk with a distinctive spout-like shape at the top.
Dr Mark Jones, a distinguished Architect and Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, said the Sugar Shaker has become one of the most recognizable buildings in Australia.
“Most of Townsville’s imagery incorporates this building, not unlike the Sydney Opera House,” he said.
“I don’t think, apart from those two examples, there is another building in Australia that exemplifies the city in which it is located.”
Dr Jones said by the time the building opened in 1976 as the Townsville Hotel, there were two similar properties in the country; Tower Mill Hotel in Brisbane, and Australia Square in Sydney.
“I suspect Sugar Shaker’s architects drew inspiration from those two buildings,” he said.
“But they went a step further with an interesting cover on the roof of the AC cooling tower that gave it the shape of a sugar shaker.”
46 years after the building was erected in Townsville, the debate about whether the resemblance was intentional continues.
“I’m not sure if they immediately thought of the sugar shaker or if it came from the people after,” said Dr Jones.
“After all, this is a great symbol for the sugar cane-growing region.
“I can’t think of any other example, except for the big banana and big pineapple type of installation.”
Townsville Enterprise lobby group marketing director Lisa Woolfe said there were several local theories about the design.
“Apparently, it mimics the sugar shaker sold at a nearby cafe,” he said.
“But I’ve also heard over the years people refer to it as lipstick.”
The deputy mayor of Townsville, Mark Molachino, said he suspected the architects had deliberately gone with their designs.
“I don’t know the history of the design, I’ll be honest,” he said.
“But whoever designed it made it look as close to a sugar shaker as possible, so they’ve done a great job with that resemblance.”
The hotel has been known as the Centra Townsville, Townsville International Hotel and Holiday Inn over the years, but is currently owned by the Hotel Grand Chancellor.
Manager Paul Gray said it was a “scary” task to choose a new color for the “icon” building.
“Locals really love Sugar Shaker, but it needs a refresher,” says Gray.
The restoration, including the repainting of the building, will be completed by the end of August.
“The building itself is painted gray,” said Gray.
“This will make the white color rise, just to break it up a bit too.
“I thought it would fit perfectly into the buildings around the city and look a lot more modern.”
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