Spinnaker Tower
The Spinnaker Tower is a Template:M to ft-high tower situated in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. The tower is the centrepiece of the redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour, which was supported by a large National Lottery grant. Its design was chosen from a selection of concept designs through a vote offered to Portsmouth residents, which controversially did not include an option to reject the tower altogether. The tower, designed by local firm HGP Architects and the engineering consultants Scott Wilson, reflects Portsmouth's maritime history by being modeled after a sail. After several years of delays and a massive budget overspend, it was officially opened on 18 October, 2005, and has drawn a significant number of additional tourists to the Gunwharf Quays development and the nearby Historic Dockyard site[citation needed]
Structure
The tower, at a height of Template:M to ft above sea level, is 2.5 times higher than Nelson's Column[citation needed], making it the tallest accessible structure in the United Kingdom outside of London. The tower is visible for miles around Portsmouth, changing the shape of the horizon in the area.
The tower represents sails billowing in the wind, a design accomplished using two large, white, sweeping steel arcs, which give the tower its spinnaker sail design. The steelwork was fabricated by Butterley Engineering. At the top is a triple observation deck, providing a 320° view of the city of Portsmouth, the Langstone and Portsmouth harbours, and a viewing distance of Template:Km to mi. The highest of the three observation platforms, the crow's nest, has a wire mesh roof, allowing visitors to get the feeling of being amongst the elements. However, the windows extend to above head height, so it is not possible to get a view unobstructed by glass. The glass floor is the largest in Europe. The tower has a design lifetime of 80 years.[1]
The design is similar to the Burj al-Arab in Dubai, although that structure is twice the size at 321m.
History
The project planning began in 1995, although construction of the tower did not begin until 2001, and was not completed until mid-2005, due to repeated delays and extra funding requests by the builders Mowlem. This was six years later than the planned opening date of 1999, chosen to coincide with Millennium celebrations. The tower, originally referred to as the Portsmouth Millennium Tower, was accordingly renamed the Spinnaker Tower.[citation needed]
The project was massively over budget, with an overall cost of £35.6 million for the tower alone. Taxpayers were not meant to fund the tower, but Portsmouth City Council eventually contributed £11.1 million towards the construction.
In March 2004, Portsmouth Council leader Leo Madden resigned after a highly critical report of the council's handling of the project and failure to exploit revenue opportunities such as the Millennium. Barry Smith, the project's legal advisor, also retired after being suspended on full pay,[2] mostly due to controversy over the contract signed with the builders of the tower, which at one point would have cost the council more to cancel the project than to finish building it.
The tower has also been beset by health and safety issues, including large cracks beneath the observation deck and a malfunctioning external glass lift. Fathers 4 Justice campaigners and base jumpers have infiltrated the tower, leading to security concerns.[citation needed]
The tower was dedicated on October 16, 2005 and opened two days later. On opening day, the Tower's project manager, David Greenhalgh, and representatives for Mowlem and Maspero were stranded in the tower's malfunctioning external lift (built by Maspero) for an hour and a half. Abseiling engineers were called to rescue them.[3][4][5] Some, including the franchise's chief executive, felt it was rather fitting that these particular people were trapped.[6]
However, once open, the tower attracted crowds well in excess of expectations, despite only the internal lift working since opening. Observation towers in Canada have been similarly successful (for example, Toronto's CN Tower, the Calgary Tower, Niagara's Skylon Tower), as has the UK's Blackpool Tower.
In June 2006, the local press raised a concern that the tower may be forced to close. All public buildings in the UK require disabled access under the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. With the external lift still not working, and thus only the internal lift for disabled access, the tower did not pass this requirement[7], and the tower operators could be sued under the act. This problem was recified by investing in an evacuation chair, and training for all staff to use it. This means that, in the event of the tower needing to be evacuated, should the internal lift become inoperable, those unable to navigate the 570 stairs can be taken in the evacuation chair.
The original date given for the external lift to be repaired and up and working was the end of January 2007, although currently (July 2007) the lift is still not operational. According to a member of staff on 16th August 2007, the outside lift is currently working however is now being tested by health and safety.
Over 600,000 people visited the tower in its first year, considerably exceeding expectations, with a satisfaction rating - the percentage who would recommend a visit to others - of 98% [citation needed].
In 2006, the tower won the RICS Project of the year award and the RICS Regeneration award. One of the judges said that - "Spinnaker Tower has brought life back to an area left stranded by the restructuring of the defence industry. The Gunwharf Quays development has created a destination, for shoppers, tourists, businesses and investment. An iconic landmark for the City and the South East has been born, and will be enjoyed by visitors and locals alike for many years to come"
Events Held at the Tower
- The tower hosted the third of BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale's live annual 'tower broadcasts' on September 21, 2006, featuring Santos and The Plump DJs, following similar shows from the BT Tower, London and the Television Tower, Berlin.[8]
- Spinnaker Tower was host to one of the regional events for the BBC's Children in Need events in 2006. This involved the mascot of the event, Pudsey Bear, abseiling down the structure. [9]
References
- ^ LUSAS, November 4, 2005. Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth. Retrieved September 17, 2006.
- ^ BBC News, October 18, 2005. Spinnaker opens five years late. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
- ^ BBC News, October 16, 2005. Troubled Spinnaker given blessing. Retrieved November 14, 2005.
- ^ BBC News, October 18, 2005. Council boss trapped in Spinnaker. Retrieved November 14, 2005.
- ^ Portsmouth Today, October 18, 2005. Spinnaker's big day hit by a towering calamity. Retrieved November 14, 2005.
- ^ Daily Telegraph, October 19, 2005. Red faces over Portsmouth's showcase project. Retrieved April 28, 2006.
- ^ Portsmouth Today, July 04, 2006. Closure threat to Spinnaker Tower. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
- ^ BBC Radio 1, Annie Nightingale. Spinnaker Tower show. Retrieved August 27, 2006.
- ^ BBC Hampshire, Children In Need. Retrieved November 27, 2006.