Science tower is ready to reopen

The tower had to be closed in 2002

The troubled tower at the Glasgow Science Centre is to reopen to the public on Thursday.

The £10m rotating tower had to be closed in February 2002, just months after the centre on the south bank of the Clyde opened to the public.

It was found to have sunk because of damage to two bearings in the rotating base mechanism.

Culture Minister Frank McAveety dubbed the tower a "cutting edge construction" and welcomed the announcement.

He said: "The opening of the Glasgow Tower is excellent news for everyone in Scotland.

In designing and building Glasgow Tower we tested the boundaries of engineering Brian Weddell Centre chief executive

"Architectural icons have raised the profile of cities all over the world - the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, the London Eye - to name but a few.

"We may have had to wait for Glasgow Tower's opening but its appeal will be enjoyed for many years to come."

The tower, which is designed to rotate in the wind, will be open between 1100 and 1800 BST seven days a week. However, it will be closed when the wind speed exceeds 40mph.

At 127m, the tower has been hailed as Scotland's tallest free-standing structure.

Management said that because the structure was unique, detailed work had to be undertaken in designing and testing a new bearing for the base following the original bearing's malfunction.

Science centre chief executive Brian Weddell said: "In designing and building Glasgow Tower we tested the boundaries of engineering and the end result is a fantastic and significant achievement for Glasgow, a world-class experience for visitors and our pioneering contribution to engineering science."