Landscaping work on the seafront around the British Airways i360
Current status
Work on the seafront at either side of the British Airways i360 is almost complete.
We’re aiming for all the work to be finished this summer and are continuing to keep businesses informed
The work includes:
- refurbished arches to house six new shops and food outlets - some businesses have already moved in
- flexible outdoor public spaces
- restored columns from the West Pier
The majority of the work is funded by our income from the i360. Find out more about funding on our British Airways i360 web page.
Funding to restore the kiosk that will become the West Pier heritage centre is being raised by the West Pier Trust.
Refurbished arches
We’ve rebuilt a row of arches dating back to the late 1800s as part of our multi-million pound programme of essential work to strengthen the seafront road (A259) which they support.
The arches will provide new business premises for independent retailers and food outlets.
Rebuilding the seafront arches
West Pier columns
24 of the original cast- iron columns from the West Pier now stand in a 'Golden Spiral' on The Piazza, east of the British Airways i360. The columns were restored for re-use as part of the new landscaping scheme. The ‘Golden Spiral’ (otherwise known as the Fibonacci spiral after the Italian mathematician). is found in nature and used to achieve balance and harmony in architecture, art and design.A plaque puts Eugenius Birch, designer of the West Pier, at the very heart of the spiral.
Learn more about the columns' journey and the story of the West Pier
Flexible outdoor public spaces
Western arches event space
A flexible outdoor space for entertainment, exhibitions and events with permanent seating.
The Piazza
A large flexible space dedicated to the heritage of the West Pier. The Piazza will include restored West Pier columns and the West Pier heritage centre. The Piazza will provide space for visitors to enjoy a seaside view and the spectacle of the British Airways i360.
West Pier heritage centre
The West Pier Trust are currently fundraising to restore a kiosk. The octagonal kiosk built in 1866 was salvaged from the West Pier in the 1990s.
Once restored, the kiosk will house a heritage centre run by The West Pier Trust. The kiosk will form a focal point of the landscaping on either side of the i360.
The kiosk will play its part in keeping the spirit of the West Pier alive, alongside the two tollbooths already reinstated. Together they underscore the importance of the West Pier as a part of Brighton & Hove’s cultural past.
For more information on the kiosk and fundraising progress visit the West Pier Trust website at www.westpier.co.uk
Kiosk image copyright John Burrell/Burrell Foley Fisher LLP
Improving the seafront
Find out about seafront development work planned and in progress on our improving the seafront web page