- Apr 5, 2014
- 26,339
It would look great (if it wasn't arsoned) but I'm not convinced it would make money unless there was some sort of local or entertainment facility on it.
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[Brighton] i360 filing for administration
- Thread starter nickbrighton
- Start date
father_and_son
Well-known member
The irony for me is that you can't actually see anything up there.
180 of the 360 degrees is just sea. Looking the other way, it's actually quite hard to see the Pavilion, the Marina is now just floating tower blocks so not at all interesting from that angle and... er... nope, nothing to see here. You get a really good view of Primark. To the point where its the only recognisable landmark.
I've been up (once), eaten in the restaurant (once) and walking past 1, 000 times. Think that says everything about why the business plan failed.
180 of the 360 degrees is just sea. Looking the other way, it's actually quite hard to see the Pavilion, the Marina is now just floating tower blocks so not at all interesting from that angle and... er... nope, nothing to see here. You get a really good view of Primark. To the point where its the only recognisable landmark.
I've been up (once), eaten in the restaurant (once) and walking past 1, 000 times. Think that says everything about why the business plan failed.
Made for Mike Ashley.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,673
Last time I went up it was at the start of May. Bit of a misty day. Morning timeslot. There were 4 of us paying punters - including myself with a resident discount card - and 2 members of staff rattling around in that vast empty space. It's an impressive piece of engineering for sure, but it's in completely the wrong place and vastly overpriced for a casual family of daytrippers. Such a shame. It would probably thrive in the right setting
The sooner the shitstick dissapears for good the better . . . If it could be recycled as an aid to rebuilding a decent pier for the town, that would be good.
It was always just the most egregious example in the series of landgrabs of public space for private profit. Yes the attraction doesn't make profit but repayments are only due from the activities of the i360. Profit from the buildings underneath are exempt from contributing to the debt.
And I'm not buying the idea that anyone involved from architects to administrators is not culpable when anyone with 5 minutes of time and a vague idea of what a business plan is could blow theirs out the water.
Re: The West Pier there was a very real proposal that involved a casino that the council was minded to approve when the concrete submission came. The first arson attack was very shortly after this information diffused as far as me. (No I'm not Piers Burns)
And I'm not buying the idea that anyone involved from architects to administrators is not culpable when anyone with 5 minutes of time and a vague idea of what a business plan is could blow theirs out the water.
Re: The West Pier there was a very real proposal that involved a casino that the council was minded to approve when the concrete submission came. The first arson attack was very shortly after this information diffused as far as me. (No I'm not Piers Burns)
slartibartfast
Active member
I haven't read any of the comments so far, but I bet Im not the first to say that:
In my opinion, I quite like the tower - but having been up it twice in 2016 / 2017, I cannot for the life of me see what the business model is for this. The views are ok - but really it was all about "if you look over there, middle distance, you can just about see Hove Rec, " which was where my house was at the time. Half of the view (south) is just sea. Half of the view in the evening (west) is into the setting sun, or in the morning (east) into the morning sun. That leaves generally two views - north and the one not into the sun. And the trouble with those is that ...it is just Brighton. Once the novelty of looking for your own neighbourhood wears off, there is nothing more to see. There is certainly nothing to attract tons of tourists, returning each year , from far and wide, to look at the top of the Brighton Centre. This is not Paris, or London, or Rio de Janeiro.... It was never going to get return visitors, even from the pool of locals. Im sad that it has failed, but Im not at all surprised.
In my opinion, I quite like the tower - but having been up it twice in 2016 / 2017, I cannot for the life of me see what the business model is for this. The views are ok - but really it was all about "if you look over there, middle distance, you can just about see Hove Rec, " which was where my house was at the time. Half of the view (south) is just sea. Half of the view in the evening (west) is into the setting sun, or in the morning (east) into the morning sun. That leaves generally two views - north and the one not into the sun. And the trouble with those is that ...it is just Brighton. Once the novelty of looking for your own neighbourhood wears off, there is nothing more to see. There is certainly nothing to attract tons of tourists, returning each year , from far and wide, to look at the top of the Brighton Centre. This is not Paris, or London, or Rio de Janeiro.... It was never going to get return visitors, even from the pool of locals. Im sad that it has failed, but Im not at all surprised.
- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,223
Am I the only one that thinks the i360 is an absolute eyesore and would be more than happy to see the hideous thing demolished?
I’m not against modernity or regeneration of Brighton’s historic (and now tired looking seafront) but it never should been built, at least not where it is - the architectural structure in its singularity, is utterly incongruous and unharmonious with its surroundings and imo not even aesthetically pleasing in itself. Modern installations when built in sympathy and/or as adjuncts to existing historical buildings or neighbourhoods can look incredible:
- I love the juxtaposition of old and new adding to and enhancing what is already there, as for example the pyramid entrance to the Louvres speaks to me of the ancient history and artefacts that the museum houses, the Spinnaker in Portsmouth which reflects the maritime theme of a busy seafaring City or the Shard in London whose new urban ultra-modern architecture already expands skyward etc but the i360, with it’s only justification being that it would bring tourist revenue into the town and now filing for administration, has turned out to be a true tower of Babel.
Maybe I’m being unfair and it’s just a matter of taste - I probably would have protested against the Eiffel tower in 1887 on aesthetic grounds but at least the Tour Eiffel, with it’s light and airy wrought iron lattice structure was both innovative and traditional. To avoid being demolished after the 1889 Exposition Universelle, it turned into a multi-function space of restaurants, conference rooms and shops, still drawing millions of visitors each year - something perhaps the Council could have thought when agreeing to grant planning permission and when Brighton tourists and residents would inevitably tire of going up and down on a 20 minute slow ride in an observation tower that offered a birds eye view of, well … off-shore windfarms and urban sprawl.
I’m not against modernity or regeneration of Brighton’s historic (and now tired looking seafront) but it never should been built, at least not where it is - the architectural structure in its singularity, is utterly incongruous and unharmonious with its surroundings and imo not even aesthetically pleasing in itself. Modern installations when built in sympathy and/or as adjuncts to existing historical buildings or neighbourhoods can look incredible:
- I love the juxtaposition of old and new adding to and enhancing what is already there, as for example the pyramid entrance to the Louvres speaks to me of the ancient history and artefacts that the museum houses, the Spinnaker in Portsmouth which reflects the maritime theme of a busy seafaring City or the Shard in London whose new urban ultra-modern architecture already expands skyward etc but the i360, with it’s only justification being that it would bring tourist revenue into the town and now filing for administration, has turned out to be a true tower of Babel.
Maybe I’m being unfair and it’s just a matter of taste - I probably would have protested against the Eiffel tower in 1887 on aesthetic grounds but at least the Tour Eiffel, with it’s light and airy wrought iron lattice structure was both innovative and traditional. To avoid being demolished after the 1889 Exposition Universelle, it turned into a multi-function space of restaurants, conference rooms and shops, still drawing millions of visitors each year - something perhaps the Council could have thought when agreeing to grant planning permission and when Brighton tourists and residents would inevitably tire of going up and down on a 20 minute slow ride in an observation tower that offered a birds eye view of, well … off-shore windfarms and urban sprawl.
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Cotton Socks
Skint Supporter
- Feb 20, 2017
- 2,207
I find this very surprising news. Just this morning before hearing the news, I went by & commented how excited I would be if I had paid £20 to visit this morning. I have said that sarcastic comment a lot when I've driven by.
I bought a book and donated money towards the West Pier Trust years ago under the assumption, at the time, that the money was going to be used to help restore the West Pier. Obviously shit happens & seagulls pick up lit cigarettes & drop them onto derelict piers causing a couple of huge fires, it 's just an unfortunate set of circumstances. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only Brightonian to donate money towards the pier being restored over the years. Where did all the West Pier Trust money go? That is a genuine question.
I loved the Brighton wheel, on the one time I went on it. I've been on the London Eye twice. I heard rumours that some of the business model was based on the figures for the Brighton Wheel & the London Eye. I'm not trying to be petty but a 360 view of the major landmarks of London on a day like today, seems more appealing than looking at the major landmarks of Brighton. The London Eye has views of all the major Thames bridges, Parliament, Buckingham Palace. Even on a crap day you can point to something interesting. We have the Royal Pavilion, 1.5 Piers, loads of roadworks, a burnt out hotel & a transmitter on the racecourse to see, oh & the sea can be viewed no matter what the weather.
Someone, somewhere decided to hand over a very small portion of my council tax to build a donut on a stick. I reckon BHCC could do with that £50 million now. This is just a reflection of my circle of friends & not intended as a representation of the views of all Brightonians but we all thought it was a shit idea! Other childish names aside from donut on a stick were touted.
There was a reason why private business didn't want to touch it!! Thanks Mr Kitkat & chums.
I bought a book and donated money towards the West Pier Trust years ago under the assumption, at the time, that the money was going to be used to help restore the West Pier. Obviously shit happens & seagulls pick up lit cigarettes & drop them onto derelict piers causing a couple of huge fires, it 's just an unfortunate set of circumstances. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only Brightonian to donate money towards the pier being restored over the years. Where did all the West Pier Trust money go? That is a genuine question.
I loved the Brighton wheel, on the one time I went on it. I've been on the London Eye twice. I heard rumours that some of the business model was based on the figures for the Brighton Wheel & the London Eye. I'm not trying to be petty but a 360 view of the major landmarks of London on a day like today, seems more appealing than looking at the major landmarks of Brighton. The London Eye has views of all the major Thames bridges, Parliament, Buckingham Palace. Even on a crap day you can point to something interesting. We have the Royal Pavilion, 1.5 Piers, loads of roadworks, a burnt out hotel & a transmitter on the racecourse to see, oh & the sea can be viewed no matter what the weather.
Someone, somewhere decided to hand over a very small portion of my council tax to build a donut on a stick. I reckon BHCC could do with that £50 million now. This is just a reflection of my circle of friends & not intended as a representation of the views of all Brightonians but we all thought it was a shit idea! Other childish names aside from donut on a stick were touted.
There was a reason why private business didn't want to touch it!! Thanks Mr Kitkat & chums.
Garry Nelson's Left Foot
Well-known member
A little bit off topic but when are the arches going to get fixed? How much would that cost?
HillBarnTillIDie
Active member
- Jul 2, 2011
- 123
Who pays back the loan….. ?
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Garry Nelson's Left Foot
Well-known member
Lovely. Thanks!
The Spinnaker tower is actually pretty good. I've been up it once, and if I ever have to go back to Portsmouth again I shall go again. The view is more interesting. Ok, Portsmouth itself is not a patch on Brighton to look at, no one's denying that, but there's the harbour and all the maritime traffic. It's more of a '360' view than Brighton's tower with more going on.
ClemFandango
Active member
- Oct 2, 2023
- 165
We do, then our kids do and then their kids do
BrightonCottager
Well-known member
I don't think that anyone has mentioned yet that the West Pier Trust (which is supposed to get an income from the i360 and other units occupying what used to be the land bit of the West Pier) has to pay for the maintenance of the buoys around the West Pier as it is a hazard to shipping, inspection of the Pier, removal of bits that fall off etc, as well as preserving the bits of the original buildings left and general promoting the memory and traditional seaside experience represented by the West Pier. It will be interesting to see how this affects the Trust.
I would also like to say that as far as I'm concerned, half of the view from the i360 isn't 'just' the sea. I could look at the sea all day.
I would also like to say that as far as I'm concerned, half of the view from the i360 isn't 'just' the sea. I could look at the sea all day.
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I've news for you ...... you can!
You can sit on the beach, or if you feel energetic and want a more panoramic view you can go up the downs. You don't have to pay to go up a tower in order to enjoy a view of the sea. Herein lies the problem.