What is the London Eye?
The London Eye is the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel, on the South Bank of the River Thames.
It was formerly known as the Millennium Wheel or the revolving observation wheel.
What is the height of the London Eye?
At a height of 443 feet(135 meters), the London Eye was the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel, before it was surpassed by the Star of Nanchang, in Nanchang, China.
Who built the London Eye?
The London Eye was originally conceived by David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects in 1993, in response to a competition organised by the Sunday Times and Great Britain’s Architecture Foundation. The competition was organised to build a new monument in London, to commemorate the new Millennium.
It was finally built by the architects themselves and was funded by British Airways, Tussauds Group and the architect couple themselves.
How long did it take to build the London Eye?
London Eye was constructed over a period of two years. Construction began in 1998 and it was inaugurated by the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair on December 31, 1999.
It admitted its first paying passenger until March 9, 2000.
4 Fun facts about the London Eye
1. The 32 capsules on the London Eye are representative of the 32 London boroughs and each one weighs as much as 20,000 pounds, approx But they are numbererd 1 to 33, avoiding the unlucky number 13.
2. The London Eye can carry 800 people each rotation.
3. The capsules travel at a pace of 26 cms per second, which is really slow.
4. The London Eye is not a ferris wheel, as it is supported by an A frame on just one side, and the carriages are outside the wheel rim instead of hanging low.