The thinnest viewing tower i360 opened in Brighton
A brilliant glass and metal observation tower with a donut-shaped observation platform grew up on the horizon of the seaside city of Brighton in England. The official opening of the world’s thinnest observation tower took place quite recently.
Called “vertical pier” tower has the official name of The British Airways i360, or just i360. Its height is 162 meters, and the width is only 3.8 meters. The observation platform also functions as an elevator, raising up to 200 passengers to the top, where they can enjoy stunning views of the city and the English Channel. All this makes the i360 the world’s highest moving observation tower, as well as the highest construction of Sussex.
The design of the tower was designed by architect Marx Barfield, who also designed the giant London Eye. The observation platform of the tower is 10 times the size of the capsule of the London Eye. The 18-meter observation deck also contains a restaurant.
The tower was built on the coast near the famous East Pier, hence the nickname Vertical Pier. As the architect explains, the tower performs the same functions as the pier – it gives people an overview of the surrounding beauty and provides an opportunity to look at the city and the sea from a different point of view. By its design, it is one of the most unusual towers in the world.
Brighton Pier was built in 1866, exactly 150 years ago. It was closed in 1975 due to destruction, but then reconstructed. Construction of the tower i360 cost $ 56.2 million, most of which was allocated by the local municipality as a loan. If everything goes according to plan, the tower will earn about 1 million a year from ticket sales, not counting the income from the restaurant.
A new attraction should also attract more tourists to the city. According to approximate calculations, the loan will be paid for 17 years, and the city will receive additional tax revenues from the increased number of tourists.
