i360

Marks Barfield wanted to replicate the experience of the Eye – the slow ascent and glass pods – but at a comparatively low budget: the tower design comes in at a third of the cost of the wheel. As at the London Eye, the architects came up with the idea then sought the finance, creating a company in which they are 80 per cent stakeholders.

Located at the landward end of the West Pier on Brighton beach, British Airways i360 is a modern-day ‘vertical pier’ whose purpose is to delight, entertain and inspire. Visitors are invited to ‘walk on air’ and gain a new perspective on the city, just as the original pier welcomed Victorian society to ‘walk on water’.

It has a noticeably different feel to the amusements and fairground of the more tourist-y pier to the East. The observation cabin holds up to 200 visitors per trip. Through the double-curved window panes, passengers enjoy panoramic 360° views.