The redevelopment of the King Alfred site in Hove seems to have exercised a number of minds lately.

The plan proposed is, of course, a nonsense.

The architect may be praised for his eccentric building in Bilbao but that building is in a dock area where it fits in quite well.

The cover of Anthony Seldon's book Brave New City shows the Seattle tower transposed to Brighton.

I remember a similar tower with a revolving restaurant on top was proposed for the promenade at the bottom of West Street in the Sixties.

What if the entire King Alfred site was covered by a four-storey building containing flats, shops, sports centre as now proposed but from its centre rose a graceful tower, a "needle to the stars"?

This would certainly outshine the new tower at Portsmouth and be a talking point around the world.

Similar to the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas, there could not only be observation platforms and restaurants but a roller coaster and bungee rides a thousand feet in the air.

The main block would fit well with the Victorian terraced houses on the Kingsway and the tower would add extra elegance to Hove.

-Brian Coomber, Shoreham