Spinnaker Tower
The Spinnaker Tower is a 170 m high observation tower in Portsmouth , England . It owes its name to its shape based on a spinnaker , which is supposed to be reminiscent of the maritime tradition of Portsmouth.
Location and construction
The tower is the centerpiece of a € 130 million redevelopment program in Gunwharf Quays, part of Portsmouth Harbor, which began in 1995. The tower should actually be completed by the turn of the millennium; However, since there was initially no agreement on a design, the start of construction was delayed until 2001. Critics considered the design too daring and called for a more traditional design. Due to the delay, the tower was then renamed from Millennium Tower to Spinnaker Tower .
The Spinnaker Tower was designed by the British design office Scott Wilson and has since been awarded several architecture prizes. It has three viewing platforms, one above the other, at a height of 100 m, 105 m and 110 m. Access to the platforms is either via an elevator located in the tower or an external glass elevator. From the platforms, the visitor has a 320 ° view over Portsmouth Harbor and the surrounding area to the Isle of Wight . The Spinnaker Tower is the tallest accessible structure in the United Kingdom outside of London . It can already be seen from a great distance and is set to attract even more tourists to Portsmouth in the future as the city's new landmark. As a further attraction, several accessible glass panes are built into the lowest level of the viewing platforms, which are at a height of approx. 100 m.
Although the official opening took place on June 27, 2005 as part of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar , the tower has only been open to the public since October 17, 2005.
The tower is in a factory outlet center . In the immediate vicinity is the HMS Warrior (1860) .
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 47 '44.3 " N , 1 ° 6' 30.8" W.