British Airways i360 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids British Airways i360
View of the i360 from the former location of the West Pier
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Observation tower
Location	Brighton & Hove
Country	England
Coordinates	50°49′17″N 0°09′03″W / 50.8214°N 0.1507°W / 50.8214; -0.1507
Groundbreaking	29 July 2014
Estimated completion	Summer 2016
Opening	4 August 2016
Cost	£46.2 million
Height	162 m (531 ft)
Design and construction
Architect	David Marks and Julia Barfield
Architecture firm	Marks Barfield
Structural engineer	Jacobs Engineering
Main contractor	Hollandia Infra BV

The British Airways i360 is a tall observation tower. It stands on the seafront in Brighton, East Sussex, England. The tower is located near the old West Pier. It opened to visitors on August 4, 2016.

From its special viewing pod, people can see all around. You get 360-degree views of Brighton, the South Downs, and the English Channel. The team who designed the London Eye also created the i360. This project cost about £46 million.

The i360 was first called the "Brighton i360." It was hoped to attract many visitors each year. The owners of the site, the West Pier Trust, hoped the i360 would help rebuild the historic West Pier.

Design of the i360
How the i360 Was Built
Funding the Project
Opening and How it Works
People Who Didn't Like It
Claim of Being the World's Tallest
Gallery
See also

Design of the i360

Original design drawing of the tower

The British Airways i360 was designed by Marks Barfield. This is the same company that designed the famous London Eye. They thought of the i360 as a "vertical pier." This means it's like a pier that goes up into the sky instead of out over the water.

The tower is built at the start of the ruined West Pier. Its design includes buildings that look like the old ticket booths of the West Pier. These buildings now serve as a ticket office and a tea room. There is also a beachfront building. It has a restaurant, a café, and a gift shop.

The tower itself is a tall, thin structure. It is 162 m (531 ft) high. A round viewing platform moves up and down it. This platform can hold up to 200 people at a time.

The first plans for the tower included a wind turbine at the top. It also had systems to collect rainwater. These ideas were meant to help the environment. However, these plans were later removed. The developers said the turbine might stop the tower's safety system. They also said the collected water would not be clean enough to use.

How the i360 Was Built

Under construction behind fences, June 2015

Plans for the i360 were first submitted in 2006. The local council approved them that same year. Construction was supposed to start in 2007. There were some delays, but parts of the tower began to be built in the Netherlands in 2008.

Work on the tower itself started in May 2014. The goal was to open the attraction in 2016. A Dutch company called Hollandia built the steel parts of the tower. These parts are like giant cans. The tower is 4 m (13 ft) wide. It is known as the world's thinnest tall tower for its height.

The glass viewing pod was made by POMA. They also built the capsules for the London Eye. The pod is 18 m (59 ft) wide. It can carry up to 200 people. The pod travels up to 138 m (453 feet) high. Then it comes back down to the beach level.

The pod offers 360-degree views through curved glass. It is heated and air-conditioned. It is also easy for people using wheelchairs to access. There are benches for sitting. The main building at the bottom has a bar and restaurant.

English Heritage liked the plan for the tower. They said it would be a great addition to the seafront. The West Pier Trust hoped the project would help Brighton. They believed it would show that Brighton was ready for new business.

The i360 project won several awards. These included the Judges' Special Award in 2017. It also won awards for its structural engineering.

Funding the Project

The i360 project was first planned to be paid for by private money. The architects, Marks Barfield, sold their share in the London Eye to help fund it. But after a big financial problem around 2007-2008, they needed more help. They asked the Brighton and Hove Council for a loan.

The council first agreed to lend £14.8 million. Later, a private investor pulled out, so the council increased its loan. In 2014, the project was expected to cost £46 million. Brighton and Hove Council lent £36.2 million. Marks Barfield also put in £6 million. The agreement included Marks Barfield paying £1 million profit to the council each year.

Some local people were worried about the loan. They thought if the loan wasn't paid back, the residents of Brighton & Hove might have to pay. The council said that if the loan wasn't repaid, they could take over the attraction. They could also find a new operator or sell it.

In 2018, fewer people visited the i360 than expected. The owners had to ask the council for better loan repayment terms. It was reported that only about 500,000 visitors came in the first year. This was less than the 800,000 predicted. Bad weather and train issues were blamed for the lower visitor numbers.

Opening and How it Works

Passengers getting ready to enter the i360 pod

The British Airways i360 opened on August 4, 2016. A planned fireworks show was delayed due to a storm. The i360 website says that "flights" leave every 30 minutes. Each ride lasts about 25 minutes.

Soon after opening, the pod was damaged. A small crack in the glass was fixed. A spokesperson said the damage was only cosmetic. It did not put visitors at risk.

Interior of the i360 pod

The i360 had some small problems a month after opening. In September 2016, the pod got stuck twice. Once, passengers were stuck 9 m (30 ft) above the ground for a short time. A few days later, 200 visitors were stuck at ground level. The tower was closed for a day to be checked.

In February 2017, a broken cable caused passengers to be stuck for two hours. The i360 closed for the weekend for repairs. In March 2017, it closed again due to another fault. These were temporary issues that were fixed.

People Who Didn't Like It

View of i360 from Regency Square. Parts of the West Pier are on the right.

While the tower was being planned and built, some local people and groups were against it. They also disagreed with the public loan. A petition against the tower got 1,449 signatures.

Selma Montford of the Brighton Society thought the i360 was a "horrendous thing." She believed it would make the nearby Regency Square look small. She also doubted that it would get as many visitors as predicted.

Claim of Being the World's Tallest

When the tower first opened, its owners said it was "the world's tallest moving observation tower." However, this claim was later changed. The Guinness World Records found that another tower, the Top o'Texas Tower, was taller. It had a moving platform that reached a greater height.

Because of this, the Advertising Standards Authority told British Airways to stop using that advertising claim.