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How tall is the London Eye?

When the London Eye was thrown open to all in the year 2000, it was the tallest Ferris wheel on the planet. Currently, the tallest one in the world is the 167.6 m/550 foot High Roller in Las Vegas. The Eye continues to remain the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe.

The London Eye is 135 m/443 feet tall. The diameter of the wheel is 120m/394 feet. The entire structure weighs over one million pounds or more than 1,000 tons. It was built at a cost of £70 million.

Also known as the Millennium Wheel, The London Eye is a huge Ferris wheel located on River Thames’ South Bank in Lambeth, London, UK. The site is next to the western border of the Jubilee Gardens between Hungerford Bridge and Westminster Bridge near County Hall. The London Eye offers captivating 360-degree sights of the capital, which is an unmissable attraction to anyone who visits London.

The London Eye has been described by operators of the wheel as well as other observers to be ‘the tallest cantilevered observation wheel in the world.’ ‘Cantilevered’ means that an A-frame supports the structure on just one side. This is one of the major differences between other Ferris wheels in the world and the London Eye.

The wheel is said to be the most popular and well known tourist attraction in the UK. It has more than 3.74 million visitors every year. It has also been featured in several movies and other forms of popular culture.

History of the London Eye

A competition was conducted in London in 1993 which asked the residents to think of an idea of a fresh landmark commemorating the new millennium. David Marks and his wife Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects suggested the concept of the Eye. Despite the contest being a bust, the idea of David and Julia gained popularity and acceptance. Their design was accepted and work began soon.

Management of the construction was done by Mace. The main contractor for steelwork was Hollandia. The civil contractor was Tilbury Douglas. The foundation works were designed by Tony Gee & Partners consulting engineers while the marine works were designed by Beckett Rankine.

The Design: The London Eye is supported on only one side and hence can be termed as a cantilevered observation Ferris wheel.

Tensioned steel wires/cables support the rim of the structure. It gives it the appearance of a huge bicycle wheel with spokes. In December 2006, Color Kinetics redid the lighting with LED lighting to permit digital control of the lighting. The older lights required manually replacing gels over fluorescent light tubes.

The wheel has 32 ovoidal pods or capsules. They were supplied and designed by the company Poma. Each of them weighs ten tons, are air-conditioned and sealed, and can take 25 passengers at one go. They are connected to the wheel’s external circumference and electric motors help rotate the structure. Even though seating is available within the capsules, passengers can freely walk around when inside it.

The rotation speed of the wheel is 0.9 kph/0.6mph, thereby covering 10 inches or 26 cm in one second. One complete revolution is thus completed in about 30 minutes. The wheel does not normally stop for the passengers to board the capsules due to the very slow rotation speed. People can just walk off or walk in to the moving pods at the ground level. The wheel is stopped for safe boarding and disembarking of elderly and disabled passengers.

Construction: The construction of the wheel was done in sections, where each of them were floated on barges up the River Thames and then assembled flat on piled platforms created on the river. After the wheel was constructed, a strand jack system was used to lift it up into an upright state. It was initially elevated at the rate of two degrees per hour till it attained the level of 65 degrees. The structure remained in that position for seven days while engineers laid the groundwork for second stage of the lifting process.

Inauguration: The London Eye Ferris wheel was formally inaugurated on 31^st December 1999 by PM Tony Blair. One of the capsules had a clutch issue and hence its opening to the paying visitors was delayed till March 9, 2000. The structure was supposed to be a celebration of the new millennium; but because of the delay, it didn’t actually open to the public on the start of the new millennium.

Renovation: The process of upgrading the capsules began in 2009. The first stage of the process was to cost more than £12 million. Each of the capsules was dismantled and later floated across the River Thames to the Tilbury Docks located in Essex.

Ownership: The original first owners of the London Eye were the main architects Marks Barfield, British Airways, and The Tussauds Group. Tussauds purchased Marks Barfield and British Airways and became the only owner in 2006. Tussauds was bought by the Blackstone Group and later merged into its subsidiary, Merlin Entertainments.

London Eye – Ticket Prices, Hours of Operation

• The London Eye is open for rides to the paying public from 11 AM to 6 PM every day of the week.
• The ticket prices vary; the price of ‘standard tickets’ begin with £22.95. VIP experience tickets are priced £36.90 onwards. The VIP experience tickets come with chocolates, wine, and champagne for the passengers thereby enriching the ride and the awesome views. Tickets for ‘Private Capsules’ begin at £425; in this, visitors can avail of a private exclusive capsule along with champagne.

London Eye Tickets – Should I book online?

Though the online option to book London Eye tickets are available, you can buy them on the same day.  The ride is thoroughly enjoyable on a bright day. So yes, weather conditions to play a part in ensuring that you have a fun time.  You can book online too, and benefit from cheaper rates and better deals.

During the summer months, people queuing up for London Eye is more, so it is recommended to buy tickets online.  There is also a fast-track ticket option available online, where you have to spent around £10 extra to get to the Eye quickly.

Trivia

• The London Eye Mystery is a 2007 published children’s mystery novel written by Siobhan Dowd. The book is about a boy named Ted who has Asperger syndrome, and how he along with his sister Kat tackle the mystery of the disappearance of their cousin Salim from within a London Eye capsule.
• The 32 capsules represent the 32 boroughs in London. The capsules are numbered from 1 to 33; there is no capsule number 13. Each capsule can carry around twenty-five people, and even seating options are provided.
• On a clear day, visitors can see as far as 40 kilometers from the capsule.
• Model/actress Kate Moss has ridden the London Eye 25 times, while actress Jessica Alba has ridden it 31 times.
• The London Eye has been used for many weddings, engagements, and proposals.

London Eye – At Night or Day?

Since the London Eye timings are 11 Am to 6 PM, it is better to go during the day.  During the months of June and July, the sun is up until 9 PM, so you can still have a good view. Visit it when the weather is bright, rather than visit it during downcast days.  However, sunset views of the London Eye are scintillating.

London Eye – Map and Address

Westminster Bridge Road | Riverside Building, County Hall, London SE1 7PB, England

Timings

11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Hours Spent in London Eye

Around 1 to 2 hours

Is the London Eye safe for people with fear of heights?

Yes, since The Eye moves slowly without bouncing or shaking too much, it is safe to climb as well as stay.  The views are marvelous and definitely your money’s worth.