High roller Irina Gola has been making a splash with several thousands of litres of paint while she carries out a towering job with a difference – turning the tallest building outside London from white to blue and gold. Irina is part of an army of painters drafted in to transform the 560ft high Spinnaker Tower in Port smouth into the colours of new sponsors, Emirates Airlines. The colouring has been the subject of controversy because the airline’s colours are gold and red and the tower was to have been painted red and gold until an online protest petition gathered 10,000 signatures. E

• Contributor: MIKE WALKER / Alamy Stock Photo
• Image ID: 2K3MYFE
• File size: 29.5 MB (942 KB Compressed download)
• Releases: Model - no | Property - no
• Dimensions: 2598 x 3973 px | 22 x 33.6 cm | 8.7 x 13.2 inches | 300dpi
• Date taken: 29 June 2015

More information

This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.

High roller Irina Gola has been making a splash with several thousands of litres of paint while she carries out a towering job with a difference – turning the tallest building outside London from white to blue and gold. Irina is part of an army of painters drafted in to transform the 560ft high Spinnaker Tower in Port smouth into the colours of new sponsors, Emirates Airlines. The colouring has been the subject of controversy because the airline’s colours are gold and red and the tower was to have been painted red and gold until an online protest petition gathered 10, 000 signatures. Emirates are spending £3.5 on sponsorship of the tower over five years but objectors were furious because red is the colour of Hampshire football rivals Southampton. Blue is associated with the city’s own club, Pompey and with the Royal Navy for which Portsmouth has been home for 200 years. As a result of talks between Portsmouth city council and Emirates, the red was dropped and replaced by the blue. Now some 1, 000 litres of red paint in surplus to requirements Extra blue paint was ordered from Lancashire and yesterday, Irina began the task of turning the £35m tower, built in 2005, into its new camouflage in time for the America’s Cup series later in July. Fellow painter, Ray Kenway said:’’ Irina and the rest of us get a great view but in this weather you can burn a bit. Ends Pic Mike Walker, Mike Walker Pictures, 2015