British Airways i360: World's thinnest tower to open in Brighton

British Airways i360, the world' s tallest moving observation tower, will open on Brighton seafront on Thursday 4 August.

Groups of up to 200 visitors will glide up gently to a height of 138 metres (450ft) in a futuristic glass viewing pod to admire breathtaking 360-degree views across Brighton, the South Downs and the beautiful south coast.

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While onboard the pod, you'll also be able to enjoy a drink at the Nyetimber Sky Bar while soaking up the panoramic views.

'Flights' on British Airways i360 will last 20 minutes during the day and 30 minutes after 6pm. Tickets cost from £13.50 for adults and from £6.75 for children, with under 4s free.

Twelve years in the making, British Airways i360 is the brainchild of architect-entrepreneurs David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects, the practice that designed the London Eye.

David and Julia said: "Built at the landward end of Brighton's historic West Pier, British Airways i360 is a modern day vertical pier which invites visitors to 'walk on air' and gain a new perspective of the city, just as the West Pier invited Victorian society to 'walk on water'."

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.

British Airways i360 chief executive Eleanor Harris said: "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 [with a diameter of just 3.9 meters at its widest point]."

At beach level is the stylish Belle Vue restaurant with sea views and a large terrace, serving food from the region. There's also the West Pier Tea Room housed in a reconstructed tollbooth based on the original tollbooths built in 1866. The British Airways i360 shop includes gifts and souvenirs, many created by local Brighton artists.