The Brighton i360: The Vertical Pier
Continuing your descent from the West Hill Tavern, you eventually hit the promenade. Standing tall against the horizon is the Brighton i360, a feat of 21st-century engineering that offers a stark, sleek contrast to the city’s Victorian architecture.
Engineering the Future
Designed by Marks Barfield Architects—the same minds behind the London Eye—the i360 is a “vertical pier.” Instead of walking out over the water, you glide 450 feet into the air. The pod is a massive glass donut that provides 360-degree views of the Sussex coastline.
The View from the Top
On a clear day, the experience is transformative.
-
To the North: You can see the rolling green hills of the South Downs National Park, the “lungs” of the South East.
-
To the South: The English Channel stretches out infinitely. You can track the ferries moving toward France and see the wind farms on the horizon.
-
To the East and West: You get a topographical map of Brighton and Hove. You can see the distinct grid patterns of the Regency squares, the messy charm of the North Laine, and the long, elegant curve of the coastline toward Worthing and Eastbourne.
A Drink in the Clouds
The i360 features the Nyetimber Sky Bar, which serves award-winning sparkling wine from the Sussex downs. Sipping a glass of local wine while suspended hundreds thewesthilltavern.com of feet above the waves is a uniquely Brighton experience—it’s luxury mixed with a touch of the avant-garde. It also offers the best view of the West Pier’s remains—the skeletal iron structure that was once the crown jewel of the seafront, now a haunting monument to the passage of time.
