The Spinnaker Tower, a 170 meter high tower situated in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. The tower is actually 165m high above the deck and 170m high Above Ordnance Datum (AOD).
The tower marks the centrepiece of a £38 million Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour redevelopment project that was supported by a big lottery grant. The tower celebrates Portsmouth's maritime tradition which has been a central theme to the whole development, including the design.
The project began in the 1995 but the actual construction of the tower did not begin until 2001. The Spinnaker Tower is scheduled to be completed in the middle of 2005, over 5 years late from the original date of 1999. The tower was originally meant to be ready for the Millennium celebrations. When it was clear that this was not going to be possible, the tower was renamed from the Portsmouth Millennium Tower to The Spinnaker Tower. The overall cost of the tower alone has now risen to around £30 million pounds.
Structure
The tower represents sails billowing in the wind which is accomplished by two large white sweeping steel arcs giving the tower its own distinctive spinnaker sail design. At the top is an observation deck that provides approximately 320 degree view of Portsmouth and overlooks the surrounding harbours, Langstone Harbour and Portsmouth Harbour.
Tourism
When completed, The Spinnaker Tower will be in total 170 meters tall AOD. This is two and a half times the size of Nelson's Column. This will make it the tallest accessible structure in the United Kingdom outside of London.
The Spinnaker Tower is visible from miles around Portsmouth. The horizon over the south coast has been changed significantly and the tower is expected to draw many new tourists to the area.
External Links
Last updated: 10-14-2005 09:34:20
