London Eye

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The British Airways London Eye – or Millennium Wheel, as it is also known – is the largest observation wheel in the world. It measures 443-feet from edge-to-edge, and the 32 glass covered capsules hold 25 people each.

Map of London showing the British Airways London Eye

The whole thing moves at a constant speed of 0.6 miles per hour, and takes about 30 minutes to revolve. On a clear day you can see as far as 25 miles – which is far enough to see the sea in the east.

Construction of the wheel

The London Eye was designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield to celebrate the Millennium. The ferris wheel was too large to be built in situ, so each part was floated down the river and reassembled horizontally. Once it was completed it was hoisted upright by two huge cranes.

Five European countries made valued contributions, and the whole thing took seven years from start to finish.

The London Eye Mystery..
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The London Eye Mystery..
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Future of the London Eye

The wheel was originally planned as a temporary structure – much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris – and when its short five-year lease came up for renewal in 2005, the owners of the land where the struts now stand upped the rent massively. But a change in planning permission has saved it for another twenty years.

It will now almost certainly remain part of the London skyline for generations to come.

Facts and information

Address:
London Eye, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, Waterloo,
London SE1 7PB
England
Telephone:
Work +44 (0) 870 500 0600
Fax:
Fax +44 (0) 870 400 3006
Bus route:
12 53 77 148 159 214 341 381 453 RV1
Train station:
Embankment BK CR DS NR, Waterloo BK JB NR WC, Westminster CR DS JB
Opening times:
10–8 (Oct-May); 10–9 (Jun, Sep); 10–9.30 (Jul–Aug)
Cost:
Adults £14.50; Children £7.25 (5–15); Infants free (under-5); Family ticket £38.50
View of the London Eye ferris wheel, taken from inside a podInside a London Eye podView of the London Eye Millennium WheelLondon Eye, ‘Millennium Wheel’View of the London Eye from the Victoria EmbankmentThe British Airways London Eye

London Eye – Related articles…

Millennium Dome
The largest single-roofed building in the world – tall enough to accommodate Nelson’s Column.

Events at the London Eye:

External links:

 London Eye
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