British Airways i360 pod | Marks Barfield Architects

British Airways i360 is conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye.

With an overall height of 162m, and an observation pod that rises from ground level to 138m above Brighton beach, British Airways i360 will be the world’s tallest moving observation tower when it opens in summer 2016. Each ‘flight’ will carry up to 200 visitors at a time to enjoy unprecedented views of the city of Brighton and the landscape of the South Downs National Park. The attraction’s visitor centre will incorporate a 400-seat restaurant The Belle Vue Brighton, a gift shop, a children’s play zone, an exhibition space, and conference and event facilities.

British Airways i360 holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s most slender tower, with a diameter of just 3.9 meters at its widest point.

Sited at the root end of Brighton’s historic West Pier, British Airways i360 will breathe new life into this area of the seafront, creating a ‘vertical pier’ with an elegant, modern design that looks to the future while respecting the heritage of the site. British Airways i360 has worked with the West Pier Trust to rebuild two of the original West Pier tollbooths using Victorian building techniques. The reconstructed buildings now grace the entrance to British Airways i360, and will house the West Pier Tea Room and ticket office.