Historian praises Brighton Eye idea

Rachel Pegg - The Argus Tuesday, 29 August, 2006

The West Pier's historian has applauded plans to replace the wreckage with a 600ft viewing tower.

Professor Fred Gray, an expert on seaside architecture, said he thought the scheme dubbed the "Brighton Eye" was a "fantastic" idea.

Prof Gray, based at the University of Sussex, is a director of the West Pier Trust, which manages the site and supports the proposal for a tall tourist attraction.

He has previously called for planners to be brave when considering ideas for rejuvenating the pier, which has been almost destroyed by fire and decay.

A planning application to create the tower, to be known as the i360, is being considered by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The design by Marks Barfield, architects of the London Eye, features a moving pod to take visitors to the top.

Prof Gray said: "I think it is fantastic. I'd love to go up there. Compared with other proposals, there has been a huge amount of support.

"It is a very simple piece of architecture. It is a very Brighton piece of architecture. It looks like a stick of rock."

Under the application, the West Pier would be demolished and replaced by a viewing tower, shop and heritage centre. The tower will carry up to 100 visitors at one time in an aerodynamically-designed pod to 500ft above sea level, giving views of 25 miles on a clear day.

The privately-funded attraction would cost between £15 million and £20 million and be expected to attract 550,000 people a year.

Prof Gray, dean of the university's Sussex Institute, recently published Designing The Seaside: Architecture, Society And Nature after spending ten years studying seasides across England.

He is also the author of The History Of The West Pier.

He said he would like to see more forward thinking in protecting and improving the coastline.

He said: "For some of the Sixties and Seventies in places the new architecture wasn't very inspired.

"There was a tendency to build tedious boxes. There are some grim newish building in places like Brighton.

"There is now a concern to preserve the best buildings of the past but this is often difficult because old buildings can be difficult to maintain."

Prof Gray plans to work on details in seaside towns, such as how they promote themselves through brochures. .

For more information on the i360, visit www.westpier.co.uk/i360