LETTER: A suggestion

Thanks to Oli Poole for the coverage in the space available for the Aquarena skyscraper story and his business column invitation last week to readers’ suggestions.
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Your letters

I’ve already made a contribution to this – see the extract below from my letter published in the Herald on July 30: “In choosing an appropriately confident architectural act of celebration of a thriving maritime town life force, look west. Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.

“It’s a public building allowing everyone a view far and wide. Symbolically apt in Worthing would be a modestly-elevated lighthouse in modern concept with something happening underneath and a topmost public lookout level with a lamp, maybe revolving, reminding seafarer and landlubber alike that Worthing is here on the map.”

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The Aquarena site has room to tackle Worthing’s ongoing housing need but, also, there is the chance of including a public building on this borough council land which would add to the seafront’s visitor appeal.

Emirates has subsequently bought from Portsmouth sponsors’ naming rights to the Spinnaker Tower. Worthing is perfectly capable of obtaining its own commercial funding.

This would be Worthing’s first elevated public observation point – a vertical pier. At present all we have is the inhospitable and barren multi-storey car parks, or distant views from the Downs.

Brighton’s upcoming i360 (opening next year) needs its exceptional height to see across Brighton’s high-rise skyline and its closer downland ridges.

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A Worthing lighthouse observation platform would not suffer from the competitive presence of the i360. It would be cheaper to enter – maybe no charge at all, once the funding was found – and Worthing’s own scale of skyline and seascape, plus the lateral views of the Isle of Wight and Brighton/Beachy Head, not to mention the offshore wind farm, shipping and trawling would be a satisfactory self-contained experience. There would be observation telescopes and educational displays. At the base could be any type of social amenity.

Even let Roffey Homes have a potentially redemptive go at a design!

Richard Amey

Boundary Road

Worthing

• Want to share your views? Send your letters by email to [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected], or post them to Letters, Editorial, Cannon House, Chatsworth Road, Worthing, BN11 1NA. Remember to include your full name and address.

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