Tourist attraction
The British Airways i360 was designed by the English architect couple David Marks and Julia Barfield (Marks Barfield Architects). The couple also designed the 135 meter high London Eye, the enormous Ferris wheel in the English capital. Hollandia supplied all steel constructions for this purpose in the late 1990s. Hollandia Infra has been the main contractor for the realization of this tourist attraction in Brighton. The English contractor Mackley Civil Engineering provided the foundation and the associated visitor buildings as a subcontractor. The French ski lift manufacturer Poma supplied the Pod for the lookout tower including the drive mechanism.
Steel construction
The steel watchtower is made up of 17 tower parts (“cans”). These steel cylinders are all manufactured in the workshops of Hollandia Infra and vary in length from six to twelve meters. They have a diameter of 3.9 meters and together weigh about a thousand tons. All tower parts have a flange at the ends, a special ring that is the same size as the corresponding tower part. The steel cylinders are attached to each other by means of these flanges with 68 steel bolts each. The four lower parts have been given a heavier connection with 112 threaded rods each. Hollandia Infra has also developed and built a special lifting system for the construction of the Brighton i360. In the summer of 2015, the seventeen elements and components for the lifting system were transported by pontoon in two sea journeys to the southern English coastal town. A special unloading quay has been made on Brighton beach for the transfer of the tower sections. After unloading the parts, the ‘stacking’ of the tower parts started. In the auxiliary construction, the top tower part is first placed and then lifted. The next part is then placed underneath and both parts are attached to each other. All tower parts were also given a special exterior plating that protects the tower against the weather. At the beginning of August 2016, the “British Airways i360” opened to the public. Everyone can now enjoy this unique attraction and in good weather a breathtaking view over the English coast, Brighton and the countryside behind.
Awarded
In November 2017, the British Airways i360 won 1st prize in the “Tall or Slender Structures” category at the Structural Awards 2017 and won “The Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence”. Click here for more information (only in Dutch).
Scope Hollandia UK
During the construction of the Brighton i360, Hollandia UK provided construction management assistance to Hollandia Infra. Hollandia UK provided assistance, resources, equipment during the installation work on the site and beyond.