Realm Adelaide apartment construction reaches new heights with arrival of tallest crane of its type in Australia

APARTMENT construction in Adelaide is reaching unprecedented heights and it takes a special piece of equipment — and courage — to get there.

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APARTMENT construction in Adelaide is reaching unprecedented heights and it takes a special piece of equipment — and courage — to get there.

Builders of the $200 million Realm Adelaide, which will become Adelaide’s second tallest building when complete, have installed a 69m-tall crane on the Austin St site, behind Pulteney Street’s Mansions Apartments.

Realm Adelaide claim the structure, erected over two days, is the tallest freestanding multi-storey crane in Australia, capable of lifting up to 11 tonnes and is expected to being operating after Easter.

The crane will be progressively attached to the building during construction topping out at 132m matching the final height of the 40-storey apartment tower.

Builder Maxcon granted photographer Matt Loxton access to climb the crane for a unique view of the city skyline.

View of the Realm Adelaide apartment construction site on Austin Street taken from the tallest crane in Adelaide. Picture: AAP Image/Matt Loxton

Once completed Realm Adelaide will equal the height of Westpac House, currently Adelaide’s tallest building, but will be three metres shorter than the Adelaidean apartment building, also under construction on Frome Street, which will become SA’s new tallest building.

Realm Adelaide is scheduled for completion in late 2019 or early 2020 and Adelaidean for first quarter 2020.

The Realm crane is the 16th operating in Adelaide with the number expected to increase to more than 20 by the middle of the year.

Artist’s impression of Realm Adelaide which is under construction near the corner of Pulteney Street and North Tce.

Realm Adelaide sales manager Ben Small said contracts had been signed on 87 per cent of the 311 apartments, including all sub penthouses.

“We’ve had a really good 2018 so far, a lot of people downsizing and there’s a lot of interest coming from Sydney as well; people are relocating from Sydney to Adelaide for a change of lifestyle,” he said.

“We are seeing a lot of people selling a four or five-bedroom home and take up apartment living.”