Being built by Dutch contractor Hollandia, the i360 in Brighton has been awarded the Guinness world record for the most slender tower in the world.
Rising 160.469 metres above ground, with a diameter of only 3.9 metres the tower has a height to width aspect ratio of 41.15 to 1, making it slimmer than any other in the world.
Designed by Marks Barfield Architects, which also designed the London eye, the £46m i360 is being touted as the world’s first vertical cable car. When complete a pod capable of holding 200 people will travel up the tower to give visitors a view over the city and English Channel.
John Roberts, chief engineer and director at British Airways i360, said: “We have used ground-breaking engineering with this tower construction. Its height to width aspect ratio is considerably more than other tall buildings such as The Shard’s ratio of 6 to 1 or BT Tower’s of 8 to 1.”
The application for the world record was verified for Guinness World Records by structural engineers, Tim Ibell, professor of structural engineering at the University of Bath and president of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2015, and Dr Pierfrancesco Cacciola, principal lecturer in structural engineering at University of Brighton.
David Marks and Julia Barfield, originators and founding shareholders of British Airways i360, added: “We are absolutely delighted to have been working again with the same team that created the London Eye. British Airways i360 builds on the design, engineering, technology and innovation that made the London Eye a worldwide success, and takes it to new heights.”
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Fantastic, British construction & engineering at its best. Landscape – there’s plenty of tall ships off the beach!
Does it fit into the landscape??
The engineer said “but why?” while the client retorted with:” but why NOT!”