St John's Beacon (Radio City Tower)

St John's Beacon, also known as the Radio City Tower, is an observation tower built between 1965 and 1969, designed by James A Roberts. It was converted into a radio broadcasting studio in 1999. The tower is made of board-marked in-situ slip-form concrete and has a circular plan. It is located at the junction of the south-east elevation of St John’s shopping precinct and the Playhouse Theatre.

The tower features its own separate foundations and stands on a circular podium that is attached to the St John’s Precinct. It has a tapering cylindrical shaft topped with a crow's nest-like lantern projection, which originally housed a revolving restaurant and viewing platform but is now used as a radio station. The lantern has an upwards-sloping concrete soffit segmented with recessed ribs radiating from the center. It tilts outwards to allow views downwards and is glazed with a band around it displaying the lettering 'RADIO CITY 96.7'. The original rooftop viewing deck has been enclosed to provide additional space for the radio station, featuring continuous glazing around the perimeter. Above the lantern, the shaft ends in a flat top, which is now hidden by a framework that supports telecommunications equipment.

The interior includes a stairwell and two lift shafts. The high-level lantern houses radio studios, a perimeter landing area/corridor, a viewing gallery, and offices on the upper floor, which was formerly the open viewing deck.