British Airways i360

Constructing Excellence

British Airways i360 is a 162 metre tall tower with a fully enclosed glass observation pod that gently lifts 200 passengers to 138 metres, offering 360-degree views of Brighton and the English Channel. The purpose of the attraction is to delight, entertain and inspire whilst acting as a catalyst for regeneration. The British Airways i360 is an engineering feat that breaks new ground in the engineering and construction of tall structures. It uses state-of-the-art cable car technology to drive the pod up and down, with an energy re-capture system that generates electricity as the pod descends.

British Airways i360 is the brainchild of architect-entrepreneurs David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects who acted as architect, client, developer as well as securing funding. The funding model is as innovative as the project itself and is an excellent example of an arrangement that allows profit to remain in, and benefit the community. Not only has British Airways i360 given Brighton & Hove an innovative, sustainable 21st century attraction with which to identify itself, it has created new jobs and highlighted Brighton as a fun and rewarding place to visit and invest.