The Brighton i360 Viewing Tower Project

From the team behind the iconic London Eye project, the Brighton i360 Viewing Tower is a futuristic visitor attraction sited directly on the beach at Brighton, a South Coast resort in the UK. The London Eye is the one of the world's most popular viewing attraction and stands over 135 m above the River Thames. The Brighton i360 tower stands almost 180 metres high and is formed from a single structural tube, 3.90 metres diameter, fabricated in sections ("cans") with bolted joints. It is erected without the use of high-reach mobile or tower cranes. Internally there is access by ladders and platforms, and externally there are tracks on which the "pod" ascends the tower, using a novel counterweight drive system adapted from cable-car technology. The structural design of the tower has been dominated by wind engineering considerations. The design includes a number of features aimed at mitigating vortex shedding and other dynamic wind effects, both in relation to structural performance and passenger comfort. These include a perforated metal rainscreen cladding, and damping systems for the lowest three modes of natural vibration. The passenger pod, 19 metres diameter, holds up to 200 persons and provides a 360 degree view through curved glass. The pod is entered at ground level and it rises to a height of 150 metres above sea level.