Renzo Piano designed the Bigo — Italian for a type of dockside crane — as a conscious homage to the industrial history of the Porto Antico. The rotating panoramic cabin ascends 40 metres above the waterfront and gives a 360-degree view over the port, the old city, and the Ligurian hills. On a clear day you can see well along the coast in both directions.
The lift operates daily in season (with some closures in bad weather) and takes about 10 minutes for the full rotation. It is good value for the view and provides excellent orientation for first-time visitors trying to understand how the city sits in relation to the sea. In winter, the area around the Bigo hosts an ice rink.