British Airways i360 in Brighton

David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects, architects known mainly for the famous London Eye have designed a brand new attraction in Brighton, UK: British Airways i360, the world's tallest moving observation tower at 162 metres.



Brighton has a new architectural landmark constructed on the same site as what used to be the symbol of this seaside town - the famous West Pier designed by Eugenius Birch and opened 150 years ago in 1866, but abandoned and left to its fate in 1975. When it burnt down in 2003, the city was deprived of a significant landmark, also made famous by such films as Franc Rodham's Quadrophenia.



Actually, the idea of David Marks, invited in 2005 by the Brighton & Hove City Council and The West Pier Trust to design the revival of the seafront of the two cities started out as a vertical pier standing exactly on the landward part of the original pier.





A decade later, passing through concepts, tenders and construction, on 4 August 2016, British Airways i360 opened new horizons to visitors to Brighton - well, who doesn't love to look at cities from high above, enjoying 360° views thanks to an unusual perspective?





Setting new standards in the field of architecture and engineering, the project by Marks Barfield is of course associated with the famous London Eye, designed by the same firm.
Indeed, the architects used their experience on that incredible tourist attraction, plus some innovative engineering to make the British Airways i360 viewing pod with an 18-metre diameter move along the tower with a diameter of 3.9 metres using a special, sustainable system to generate energy as the vertical cable car descends. 



The glass viewing pod has room for up to 200 visitors and glides up slowly to 138 metres, where you can enjoy breathtaking 360 degree views for up to 42 kilometres; and on a clear day you might even catch a glimpse of the French coastline on the other side of the English Channel. British Airways i360 has bench seating in the centre of the pod and climate control to make the trip in comfort - 20 minutes during the day and 30 minutes in the evening, when this engineering masterpiece - acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the world’s most slender tower - transforms into the Sky Bar. You can even book it for all sorts of events, including weddings! 



“Walk on air”, the new must if you're visiting Brighton! 

Christiane Bürklein

Architect and supervisor: Marks Barfield Architects
Civil and structural engineer: Jacobs UK
Location: Brighton, UK
Start on site: 2014
Completion: 2016 
Images: courtesy of British Airways i360
Find out more: http://britishairwaysi360.com/