Brighton Attraction

The international team, who created the London Eye were reunited on Brighton seafront to build the Brighton i360, the tallest visitor observation attraction in the UK outside of London, located on the south coast of the Great Britain Island on the shores of the English Channel. It is expected that the project will be ready in 2016.

Conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye, the 162 metres high Brighton i360 has an observation pod rising to a height of 138 metres for a 20-minute ride and will be Britain’s highest observation tower outside London. It will be extraordinarily slender, with an aspect ratio (width to height) of 1:40. Visitors will return to the ground with changed perceptions and a new perspective on Brighton and Hove. In addition, visitors to Brighton i360 will be provided with fascinating information on the construction of the attraction, the historical heritage of Brighton and Hove and East Sussex County in general. It will be possible to explore the information by means of compact portable media devices. The media tour will be available in several languages, including Russian.

Operation of the attraction will not depend on the time of year. The fully enclosed aerodynamically shaped futuristic glass viewing pod is spacious at 10 times the size of a London Eye capsule and has the capacity to hold up to 200 people at a time. At 18 metres in diameter there is plenty of space to move around and see the view from different angles.

It also means we will be able to host parties and groups for events at the Brighton i360.Travelling from street level (Kings Road) up to 138 metres, the viewing pod will provide a 360 degree view through curved glass, before returning to beach level. Due to improvements in glass technology, the glass used has a much higher specification (compared to the glass used in the London Eye) meaning the need for less air conditioning and ensuring that even in wet weather conditions, the pod can’t steam up.

Among its other features, the i360 passenger pod will be heated and air-conditioned, is fully accessible for wheelchair users, has bench seating for passengers and will also house the unique Brighton i360 Sky Bar. Like with the London Eye, damping technology will keep the ride stable and smooth.

Panoramas will scoop up miles of sea and chalky cliffs as well as the city’s famous Regency architecture and rolling South Downs hinterland, and will extend from Bexhill-on-Sea in the east to Chichester in the west.

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Materials provided by Marks Barfie ld Architects