The Auckland landmark among the first to go green for St Patrick’s Day in 2010 was the Sky Tower.
Auckland’s Sky Tower joined the Sydney Opera House as one of the first landmarks illuminated green for Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening Initiative. The initiative began in 2010 and uses prominent buildings and monuments to mark St Patrick’s Day and promote Irish culture around the world.
The Sky Tower is Auckland’s most recognizable high-rise landmark. Its lighting system can display different colours for public events, charities, awareness campaigns, and national or cultural occasions. Green illumination connects the tower with Ireland’s national colour symbolism and the widespread modern imagery of St Patrick’s Day.
The wording “among the first” matters: the Sky Tower was not the only landmark involved. The Sydney Opera House is generally identified alongside it as an initial participant. The programme later expanded dramatically, with hundreds of landmarks in many countries taking part.