Spinnaker Tower

The Spinnaker Tower is a 170 m high observation tower in Portsmouth, England. It owes its name to its style similar to a spinnaker shape to recall the maritime tradition of Portsmouth.

The tower is the centerpiece of a € 130 million restructuring expensive program in Gunwharf Quays, a part of the port of Portsmouth, which began in 1995. Actually, the tower should already be completed for the turn of the millennium, as you initially but could not agree on a design to the start of construction was delayed until 2001. Critics thought the design for too daring and called for a more traditional design. Due to the delay, the tower was renamed Millennium Tower Spinnaker Tower.

The Spinnaker Tower was designed by the British design studio Scott Wilson and has since been honored with several architectural awards. He has three superimposed observation decks at 100 m, 105 m and 110 m. Access to the platforms is either via an elevator located in the tower or a glass outside elevator. The visitor of the platforms from a 320 ° view over the harbor of Portsmouth and the surrounding area up to the Isle of Wight. The Spinnaker Tower is the tallest building walk-in the United Kingdom outside London. He is already visible from a great distance and will attract in the future as a new landmark for the city even more tourists to Portsmouth. As a further attraction more accessible glass panes are incorporated into the lowest level of the viewing platforms that lie at an altitude of about 100 m.

Although the official opening during the celebrations held to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar on 27 June 2005, the tower open to the public only since 17 October 2005.

The tower stands in a factory outlet center. Located in the immediate vicinity HMS Warrior ( 1860).