An attraction claiming to be the world’s tallest moving observation tower is to due open on Brighton seafront on Thursday.
The British Airways i360 will take groups of up to 200 up to a height of 450 feet in glass viewing pod.
Trips last 20 minutes during the day and 30 minutes after 6pm. Tickets lead in at £13.50 for adults and £6.75 for children, with under 4s free.
The team behind British Airways i360, which has taken 12 years to develop, includes key people and firms who worked with the architects on the London Eye.
Architect and British Airways i360 chairman David Marks said: “The glass viewing pod, ten times the size of a London Eye capsule and capable of carrying up to 200 passengers, will slowly rise up a slender steel tower to a height of 450 feet to provide passengers with stunning views of Brighton and Hove and a beautiful panorama of the south coast and English Channel.”
BA strategy director and the airline’s Gatwick managing director, Lynne Embleton, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this landmark attraction which we are sure will quickly establish itself as a great British landmark and a must-visit for overseas visitors travelling to the UK.”
The attraction’s chief executive, Eleanor Harris, added: “British Airways i360 is a unique visitor attraction and a world’s first, which will cement Brighton’s position as the UK’s most popular seaside destination for international visitors.
“It is the world’s tallest moving observation tower, the world’s first vertical cable car and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s most slender tower. Alongside our sponsors, British Airways, we are promoting Brighton around the globe.”