The Spinnaker Tower Opens

2005

The Spinnaker Tower, a 170-metre observation tower at Gunwharf Quays, opened to the public in October 2005 after a prolonged and at times troubled construction process. The tower was designed by the architect Scott Wilson and takes its form from a sail or spinnaker, referencing Portsmouth's maritime heritage. It was conceived as a Millennium project, originally intended to open in 2000, but construction delays and funding difficulties pushed the completion date back by five years. The tower rises from the northern end of the Gunwharf Quays development and has become the defining feature of the Portsmouth skyline, visible for miles across land and sea. Three viewing decks at different heights offer panoramic views over Portsmouth Harbour, the Solent, the Isle of Wight, the South Downs and the surrounding city. The highest deck includes a glass floor section. On clear days the views extend to the Needles on the western tip of the Isle of Wight and to the hills of Dorset. The tower has been a commercial success, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, and has become a symbol of modern Portsmouth in the same way that the Historic Dockyard represents the city's past. For Portsea, the tower serves as a highly visible landmark that signals the area to visitors arriving by road, rail or sea, reinforcing the district's position as the principal visitor destination in the city.