Following an eleven year gestation, Brighton’s i360 tower designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects has finally opened its spectacular viewing pod to the public.
Located directly on the seafront of the southern British town, the BA i360 will provide its visitors with sweeping views of Brighton & Hove, the Sussex landscape, and the English Channel. Barfield Architects, who are best known for designing the world renowned London Eye, describe the superstructure as a ‘vertical pier’ and have aptly positioned it directly opposite the site of Brighton's former West Pier which was destroyed by a fire in 2003.
Designed to hold up to 200 passengers at once, the i360’s pod is ten times bigger than those found on the London Eye. Due to the nature of its innovative engineering and a requirement for toughened glass, it's 24 double glazed glass segments were meticulously handcrafted, cut to size and painstakingly pieced together to create the impressive pod.
Not only securing the title of the UK’s highest observation tower outside of London, the i360 has been crowned as the world's thinnest structure due to its unusual height to width ratio of 40:1. Aiming to arouse an influx of tourism, the i360 is a key aspect of an ongoing billion-pound council-led transformation of Brighton’s seafront. ‘We first experienced the impact that heady mix of innovative architecture and engineering, combined with a great view of a great city, can have on the city with the London Eye,' explains Barfield. 'It can be a catalyst for regeneration, breathe new life into forgotten areas and most importantly, give [something] back to the city.’
The i360 has been recognised as the UK’s tallest observation tower outside of London, and the world’s thinnest structure due to its unusual height to width ratio of 40:1
The pod holds up to 200 spectators and takes approximately five minutes to reach the structure’s highest point
From the top of the tower, spectators are treated to views of Brighton & Hove, the Sussex landscape and the English Channel
Eager to bring an influx of tourism to Brighton, the i360 is part of a council-led transformation of the seafront facilities
INFORMATION
For more information on the i360, visit the website
Image courtesy: British Airways i360
ADDRESS
Lower Kings Road
Brighton
BN1 2LN
-
MoMA names Christophe Cherix its new directorThe Swiss-born curator has worked in the Museum of Modern Art’s drawings and prints department since 2007
-
The Yale Center for British Art, Louis Kahn’s final project, glows anew after a two-year closureAfter years of restoration, a modernist jewel and a treasure trove of British artwork can be seen in a whole new light
-
How Le Corbusier defined modernismLe Corbusier was not only one of 20th-century architecture's leading figures but also a defining father of modernism, as well as a polarising figure; here, we explore the life and work of an architect who was influential far beyond his field and time
-
The pioneering architecture of Nigerian artist-designer Demas NwokoThe work of pioneering Nigerian artist-designer Demas Nwoko has stood the test of time; as he is awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Biennale Architettura 2023
-
Talent House opens in east London to nurture diverse talent in the artsThe Talent House is an enclave for London’s future arts talent
-
Twin cultural destination Photo Elysée and Mudac completed in LausanneArchitecture studio Aires Mateus completes its building to house Photo Elysée and Mudac in Lausanne, Switzerland
-
The Africa Centre reopens to celebrate culture and communityThe Africa Centre has reopened to a design by London-based architecture studio Freehaus, and is ready to support community and cultural exchange from its new Southwark home
-
Christchurch’s Te Pae centre reopens celebrating all New ZealandersChristchurch's Te Pae Convention and Exhibition Centre opens its doors again thanks to architects Woods Bagot and Warren & Mahoney, and arts, culture and heritage advocate Puamiria Parata-Goodall
-
Helsinki’s Pikku-Finlandia temporary event space is a student project come to lifePikku-Finlandia, a sustainable, temporary wood event space, has opened to the public in Helsinki – and it’s born of the ambitious thesis of two students, Jaakko Torvinen and Elli Wendelin, featured in Wallpaper’s 2022 Graduate Directory
-
Open architecture on building and China’s cultural landscapeOpen Architecture’s perfectly considered projects either disappear into the landscape or become new landmarks
-
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego unveils a bigger and brighter new spaceSelldorf Architects has welcomed the elements in to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s new light-filled design
