London Eye

The London Eye is one of the more innovative and interesting architectural structures of recent decades. It is, in the basest of terms, a giant ferris wheel not dissimilar to those seen at fairgrounds the world over. The Eye was created to mark the turn of the Millennium in 2000, the design concept being a new way to see the city of London.

The concept has certainly worked. In 2008, the London Eye – which is also occasionally referred to as the Millennium Wheel, though less as time passes since the turn of the millennium – was the most popular tourist attraction in England. Over three million sightseers took to the sky aboard it, quite literally taking flight; a flight is what a trip on the Eye is called.

The London Eye is some 135 meters tall, which at the time of it’s erection made it the tallest ferris wheel in the world. It still retains the title of the tallest ferris wheel in Europe, yet has surrendered it’s world title to the Singapore Flyer which is nearly 30 meters taller. It remains, however, one of the most recognizable parts of the London skyline and it’s loss of the world’s tallest title has seen no decrease in visitors.

The design of the Eye is remarkably simple. An A-frame holds it in place, suspending the giant wheel from a center point. On the outer ring of the wheel, there are 32 capsules. The wheel rotates incredibly slowly, at 26cm per second, meaning a full rotation takes around 30 minutes to complete. For this reason, the Eye never actually stops; the slowness of the rotation means people can step on and off safely without the structure ever having to be completely halted. It does have the ability to stop, and does in the case of disabled sightseers, but for most travelers it is unnecessary.

Despite it’s youth – the wheel was officially opened by the then British Prime minister Tony Blair on December 31st 1999 – the London Eye now plays a large role in typical British celebration. It has become a focal point of the London celebrations each New Year’s Eve, with a 10 minute firework display taking place on the Eye itself. Also, for the 2012 Olympics in London, the Olympic emblem will be attached to the wheel for the duration of the event.

The London Eye is located on the South Bank of the River Thames, at the western end of the Jubilee Gardens, between Hungerford Bridge and Westminster Bridge. It officially falls into the London Borough of Lambeth. Tickets for a flight cost L15.50 for an adult and L7.75 for a child, with all children under the age of four traveling free. Each capsule can hold up to 24 people, and an entire capsule can be booked for a special occasion – predominantly Valentine’s Day and children’s parties – with prices starting at around L300. Tickets can be booked at the London Eye website – usually including a 10% discount – or on the day at the site of the Eye.