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Attraction Profile
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eagle-eyed observers can see as far as the Isle of Wight. The observation tower stands at what was the entrance
to West Pier, the derelict remains of which have become one of Brighton's most-photographed “attractions.” Already i360 is becoming a photo hotspot of its own, however, not least inside the pod, a popular spot for guests both to snap the scenery through the window and also grab an all-important selfie. The design aesthetic of the pod – lots of glass, curved
windows, simple seating – mimics that of those on the London Eye. As an added twist though, it is mirrored on the underside, casting reflections of |the naturally shifting shape of the sea and sky.” A wooden-decked loading platform and two replica tollbooths, one of which houses a tea shop and mini exhibition from the West Pier Trust (the attraction's landlord), act as a reminder of the site's past. Whilst guests board at ground level, they disembark
once their flight has landed at beach level, exiting of course through the gift shop. Here some nice imagery celebrating the observation tower and also Brighton in general is available from local artists, just as all the drinks for sale in the Skybar are from local producers (as well as fizz from Nyetimber there are also ales by Harvey's of Lewes). British Airways i360 has been conceived with
hospitality very much in mind, both from the service levels offered by staff and guides (who wear BA uniforms) and also its potential for corporate bookings. If the weather's right, then the upper deck makes a nice outdoor event space, while the lower level of the beach building incorporates both the Belle Vue bar/restaurant and private rooms. The there's the capsule itself, which can be booked out for events too. In development for the past 12 years, i360 reunited
many of the parties that worked with on the London Eye, including the engineering firm Jacobs and main contractor Hollandia Infra. To make the foundations for the tower and the visitor
building, concrete bearing piles between 10 and 20 metres each were drilled into chalk beneath the beach, and dewatering pumps used to clear the 24 m x 24m area of water at high tide. The 3.9-metre-diameter steel “cans” that make up the tower, 17 in total, were manufactured in the Netherlands and shipped from Rotterdam directly onto the beach at Brighton and then assembled in a similar fashion to a tower crane using a purpose-built jacking tower. The passenger pod was built in 60 sections by the
French firm Poma, which also supplied the pods on the London Eye, and reassembled once in Brighton. The chassis that supports the pod is suspended by four pairs of strength steel ropes attached to a counterweight inside the tower. The winch-based drive system can be seen by passengers through a viewing portal in the floor as they disembark, a nice touch and a useful demonstration tool for school groups. Believe it or not, British Airways i360 has not yet
reached its maximum altitude. The tower will be completed in due course with the installation of a 12m-tall illuminated mast. Marks Barfield are also entertaining plans to take the i360 concept to other cities around the world (see ‘i want one too’, right)
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‘i want one
too’ “After the opening of the London Eye we received a lot of enquires from people asking ‘can we have one too?’” recalls i360 designer David Marks of Marks Barfield Architects. Here he tells Park World why he and partner Julia Barfield chose not to entertain the many offers they received from around the world, why i360 might be a better alternative and also the next sightseeing attraction they plan to reinvent:
“We quickly came to the conclusion that there weren’t many cities where a London Eye scale project would be viable, and even where it was viable there often wasn’t an available or suitable site. We concluded that although people were asking for a London Eye actually what was needed was something that provided the same experience; a landmark and a must-do attraction that was financially viable. The British Airways i360 is our
solution to offer London Eye experience by other means – for a city that won’t necessarily generate 3 to 4 million visitors a year. If we offered a smaller wheel it wouldn’t provide the same kind of experience, and if we kept it the same size and just had fewer pods on it, it would still be too expensive. So we had to redesign it. And that’s where the idea came from; it was about solving a fresh design problem. We hope to take the i360 concept to other locations around the world and have already received interest from a couple major cities. We’re currently working
alongside Davis Brody Bond for Lou Raizin and Laurence Geller CBE to develop a new vision for Chicago, the Chicago Skyline: a sophisticated, environmentally- friendly aerial cable car that will offer a unique urban experience: linking Navy Pier, the Chicago Lakefront, the Riverwalk running alongside the Chicago River,and downtown Chicago. If granted permission, The Skyline will showcase an aerial vista of Chicago and its architectural heritage to the eyes of the world.”
B
uilt alongside what was originally the London 2012 Olympic stadium (now the
home West Ham United Football Club), the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower is described as the UK's tallest public artwork, yet since the games its purpose has seemed almost as confused as the red lattice work steel that forms its outer structure. Designed by the Indian-born
sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor, the tower was reopened last year as an observation experience yet London is not short of those these days, and so something extra was needed to really ignite public interest. The answer? The Belgian artist Carsten Höller was drafted in to complete the latest and arguably the greatest of 10 slide projects he has collaborated on with the German manufacturer Josef Wiegand – and visitor numbers have shot up significantly since. Named simply The Slide, the
178m-long twisting, turning stainless steel tube construction is the longest and highest dry slide installation ever competed by Wiegand. During the 40-second descent, riders pass through light and dark sections, circling around the ArcelorMittal Orbit 12 times as they weave their way around its signature loops and curves. The journey is full or surprises, including a tight corkscrew section named the ‘bettfeder’ (after the German word for ‘bedspring’), ending with a 50m straight run back down towards the ground. Visitors access the attraction after
stepping out of the elevator on the first of two observation decks (76m high), strapping on elbow pads and a protective foam hat and climbing inside a sack. A monitor shows the attendant when the previous slider has reached the bottom, and those waiting to ride can hear the screams (and sometimes swear words) of fellow riders all the time they are inside the tube. “The slide course was a co-
operation between Carsten Höller and our engineers and a lot of days were needed before we settled on the final layout,” says Wiegand project manager Michael Kretschmer. “A big challenge was making the chosen design fit safely within the confines of the existing tower. Unlike other installations, our industrial climbers managed to
SEPTEMBER 2016
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