If you look up just ahead, you’ll spot a tall, glassy tower with a unique rounded top-locals call it “The Lipstick”-standing proudly above Gunwharf Quays.
Alright, stand back and soak it in-no, really, make sure your chin doesn’t drop when you look up! This is the East Side Plaza, officially known as 1 Gunwharf Quays. Do you hear the distant clinks of cutlery from Brasserie Blanc at its base, or maybe the quiet hum of a bustling city below your feet? Just imagine, back in 2008 when the doors first opened, folks around town couldn’t stop talking about the city’s “new lipstick”-and no, this isn’t a beauty shop. At 95 meters tall and sporting 29 floors, the building’s shimmering, curvy glass makes it look ready to be plucked off the skyline and slipped into a giant handbag.
Once the crown jewel in a three-part project costing a cool £50 million, this tower was designed to dazzle and transform the Portsmouth waterfront. And you know what? It nailed it, even winning the “Best Urban Regeneration Housing Scheme” before it was fully finished! Now, as the city’s second tallest structure-just after the Spinnaker Tower-The Lipstick is a modern icon where people live, dine, and enjoy breathtaking views over the Solent. Not bad for a place that started out as just a twinkle in an architect’s eye!
