The transformation of Glebe Island into Sydney’s newest exhibition centre is in full swing with four cranes required to manoeuvre the 150-tonne roof and frame into place for the largest of the exhibition halls.

Construction is well underway at Glebe Island

The hall covers about one third of the 25,000 square metre site with the rest of the structure to be built over the next six weeks to allow testing and commissioning before Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island opens for its first event in February.

In an operation that took eight hours, mobile crane cables were attached to the hall’s roof and column structure which had been preassembled on the exhibition hall ground slab. Four 240-tonne cranes then lifted the complete structure allowing it to unfold into shape.

The slab is 25,000sqm in area – 1,000 trucks of concrete have been poured, spanning more than five football fields. More than six kilometres of footings are in place and when completed, the venue will be supported by 85,000 blocks.

Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island will be the interim facility for exhibitions from 2014–16 during the construction of the new international exhibition centre at Darling Harbour.

Watch the construction process on YouTube and pictorially on Instagram by visiting www.sydneyexhibitioncentre.com.au.