Located along the banks of River Thames, in London, the London Eye is a plain old giant Ferris wheel. What then you may ask is so special about it, that it attracts tourists from all over the world? – The answer is simple, its sheer size and remarkable construction not to mention its 32 sealed and air-conditioned ovoidal passenger capsules, through which you can witness some of the best views of the entire city.
The London eye, also known as the MilleniumWheel and before that the British Airways London Eye, is the tallest Ferris wheel in the whole of Europe. It is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft).All its passenger capsules are rotated by electric motors. Each capsule can accommodate about 25 people and weighs 10 tonnes. It has been designed by Leitner-Poma and has a space to walk around in the interior.
The wheel’s speed is not too high, so it isn’t one of those thrilling rides of a fair. It takes around 30 minutes to complete one rotation and in that time you are offered excellent views of London, you are free to click pictures, dine, basically do anything within your capsule. The astonishing fact is that it doesn’t generally stop for passengers to board. Its speed is so slow that one can get on and off it without needing for it to stop! However it may be stopped for an elderly or sick person, if requested.
The wheel’s exact location is as the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Lambeth, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge.
This wheel adds to the aesthetic sense of its surroundings. LED lighting from Color Kinetics is used to light up the entire wheel in the evening. The rim of the Eye is supported by tie rods and resembles a huge spoked bicycle wheel.
Architects Frank Anatole, Nic Bailey, Steven Chilton, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, and the husband-and-wife team of Julia Barfield and David Marks are responsible for the building of this magnificent Ferris wheel.
The London Eye was formally opened by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on 31 December 1999 and since then it has served to symbolize London internationally just as the Eiffel symbolizes Paris. It has increased the tourist rate tremendously and though certain problems did come up, the government made sure that this landmark was made permanent.