Ambitious plans for an innovative, London Eye-style tourist attraction that will carry visitors 65m above Bath to give them stunning views across the city and beyond have been revealed this week.
Described as a world’s first, the AquEye will feature a single revolving glass observation pod suspended between two slim, carbon fibre masts.
The pod, capable of carrying 25 people, pictured above, will rise from a horizontal position on Pulteney Weir Island, just below the 18th century Pulteney Bridge, to a height of 65m in just 20 seconds, offering a 360-degree panorama over the UNESCO World Heritage city’s rooftops and unparalleled bird’s-eye views of Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge and The Rec.
The AquEye has been designed in Bath by award-winning architect Nicholas Stubbs. Subject to planning permission, it could begin operation in 2017 and attract more than 250,000 passengers a year. The trip will take 20 minutes.
Mr Stubbs said: “AquEye will be a global first for Bath and its hi-tech, low-profile design has been created specifically for heritage locations.
“Having worked as an architect in Bath for over 25 years I well understand the sensitivities of this World Heritage city. Although brilliant, I could not see the London Eye working here, so I wanted to develop something that would offer a similar breath-taking aerial experience, but in a way which was both elegant and unobtrusive.
“AquEye will lift people high enough to enjoy and interpret the city from above, but will be low profile enough to preserve Bath’s traditional views, as AquEye’s resting position is down and so doesn’t interrupt the city skyline. It’s also a dynamic work of art in its own right; the future celebrating the past of this wonderful, beautifully innovative city.”
The AquEye concept has already been well received. Head of Bath Tourism Plus, David James, said: “AquEye is a world first. It’s beautifully inventive and will be a fantastic addition to Bath. It will bring extra visitors to the city, create jobs and further boost the local economy. It’s a very exciting project and we’re really looking forward to it.”
A crowdfunding campaign will be launched in November to support full planning and development of AquEye. Supporters will be able to donate to the campaign in exchange for AquEye-related gifts and experiences.
AquEye’s design is already at an advanced stage. The team behind it have been working closely with a wide range of leading research and engineering companies including Magma Structures – designers and makers of the world’s tallest free-standing carbon fibre masts, such as the Maltese Falcon superyacht – the University of Bath, the Wolfson Unit at Southampton University, and the National Composites Centre on the Bristol & Bath Science Park, which develops world-beating carbon fibre technology for industrial giants such as planemaker Airbus and engine producer Rolls Royce.
Anyone interested in finding out more about AquEye can visit the Little Southgate Shopping Centre tomorrow, Saturday, between 11am and 5pm to view a video of the project and see a 1:50 scale model. They will also be able to download the AquEye augmented reality app to create a large ‘holographic image of it in action and enter a prize draw to win a pair of AquEye tickets and be one of the first to ‘fly the AquEye’ before it opens to the public.
