Spinnaker Tower Facts

  • The Spinnaker Tower opened to the public on 18 October 2005.
  • The Tower has been a huge success and has received over 600,000 visitors within the first year of opening.
  • The high speed internal lift travels at 4 metres per second, taking you to the View Decks in just 30 seconds.
  • The concrete used to build the Tower would fill five-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools.
  • The Tower is founded on 84 piles, the longest of which runs 50m into the ground – the equivalent of Nelson’s Column.
  • The total weight of the Tower exceeds 30,000 tonnes.
  • The 27m spire weighs 14 tonnes and was carefully lifted into place by crane.
  • 1200 tonnes of structural steel used to form the Tower's distinctive bows is the equivalent weight of 12 blue whales.
  • 115 metres up and in high winds, the Tower can flex approximately 150mm.
  • There are 570 steps from the base up to View Deck 3, The Crow's Nest.