The Burj Khalifa, the Sydney Monorail and WWII took less time to complete
While it probably could have used a few more checks and balances, the RMS Titanic only took three years to build. Construction began in 1909 and the fateful maiden voyage left Southampton in April 1912. Indeed, the plans for the Titanic were hatched in 1907 at a dinner with White Star Line chairman J. Bruce Ismay – meaning that the Titanic, from the start was completed faster than North Sydney Pool.
Sydney monorail
It took four years for the Sydney Monorail to come to fruition, from thought bubble to ribbon cutting.Credit: Tamara Dean
It was 1984 when then-Prime Minister of New South Wales Neville Wran announced a redevelopment of Darling Harbor that would include some sort of transport link to the CBD. In October of the following year, Laurie Brereton – the Minister for Public Works – received Cabinet approval for the monorail. The 200th anniversary was approaching and the race was on. The first public monorail ran on July 21, 1988: four years have passed from the thought bubble to the ribbon cutting.
Burj Khalifa
From the excavation to the opening night, it took six years to create the Burj Khalifa.Credit: one
Rising an incredible 828 meters above the sands of Dubai, the world’s tallest building has 163 floors. 45,000 cubic meters of concrete were needed for the foundations alone – a total of 330,000. The interior of the tower was also a logistical “nightmare” and presented “a lot of problems,” according to the contractor’s managing director. Exactly six years passed from the excavation to the opening – still faster than at the North Sydney Pool.
Golden Gate Bridge
The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge took a little over four years after construction began.Credit: one
San Francisco’s famous 1.7-mile bridge also ran into financial difficulties (due to the Great Depression). But when the bonds were issued in 1932, things moved quickly – at least compared to the North Sydney pool. Construction began early the following year and the bridge officially opened in May 1937. The American Society of Civil Engineers ranks the Golden Gate among the seven wonders of the modern world.
Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands was built in less than five years, from groundbreaking to breakthrough.Credit: Sorincolac
Singapore is an efficient city-state and its epic resort/casino/hotel Marina Bay Sands is a prime example. Las Vegas Sands won the design competition in May 2006 and the complex fully opened in February 2011 (and that included delays due to the global financial crisis and rising labor costs). In fact, parts of the building, including the 20-acre resort, opened in 2010.
Channel Tunnel
The entrance to the Channel Tunnel in France.Credit: AP
Well, the pool doesn’t quite match the ‘Chunnel’ (it was first mentioned in 1802) in terms of history and drama. But when work actually began in 1988, six years passed from the time the first tunnel was built until Queen Elizabeth II cut the ribbon. That’s – you guessed it – a little quicker than the North Sydney Olympic Pool.
Second World War
Soldiers in Australia during World War II during a bayonet exercise.Credit: Age
World War II began on September 1, 1939 and officially ended six years and two days later with Japan’s surrender. It was the deadliest military conflict in history.
Tens of millions died, and the war changed the geopolitics, economy, and social fabric of humanity. Nonetheless, the redevelopment was completed in less time than the redevelopment of the North Sydney Olympic Pool.
North Sydney Mayor-elect Zoe Baker, elected in January 2022, said the project’s problems were a result of the previous council and “have been brought up to my attention throughout the process”.
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“This new council needed to act to ensure the pool project could get back on track and be financially sustainable,” she said. “Unfortunately, that means it won’t be completed until April 2024, according to the latest forecast.”
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