British seaside-resort Brighton has a spectacular and vertigo-inducing new attraction on its storied West Pier: the British Airways i360, a 162 meter tower with a mobile glass observation pod. Designed as a “vertical cable car,” the futuristic platform can lift as many as 200 people to a height of 138 meters to provide a 360 degree panorama view of the region around Brighton, the South Coast, and the English Channel.The Brighton i360, celebrated by the British press as “the world’s tallest observation tower,” was designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects, who also co-created the “London Eye” or “Millennium Wheel,” Europe’s tallest in the Ferris wheel department.“The aim of the project is to give people a new experience of Brighton and Hove, promote regeneration of the seafront, and to provide an attraction which reflects the public appeal and spirit of the original West Pier in the 21st century,” a statement issued for the launch of the i360 explains. Promoted as a “walk on air,” the tower responds to the popular “walk on water” slogan used in the Victorian age to popularize the famous pier as a new tourist attraction.Next to an official Guinness World Records acknowledgement as “the world’s most slender tower,” the new Brighton i360 boasts state-of-the-art technology to ensure safe and smooth rides even in difficult weather conditions. According to British Airways i360, the tower comes with a perforated aluminum cladding to reduce the effects of strong wind by letting some of the air flow directly through it. Dampers furthermore secure both the tower and the aerodynamic pod against vibrations. Read more