Looking Through the London Eye

The London Eye is an architectural marvel. Built in 1999, it is the youngest of iconic landmarks the city of London boasts of. The Eye is a favorite pop culture reference in movies, television, books and magazines for London.

The London Eye is basically a giant Ferris wheel although in form and structure, it looks like a bicycle wheel more than anything else. It measures 443 feet and holds 32 capsules. Each capsule is sealed and air-conditioned. A capsule can carry approximately 25 people; this means that the wheel can carry around 800 people at a time.

The Eye moves at a conscientiously slow pace of .9 kilometers per hour. It takes the wheel around 30 minutes to complete one rotation. This speed is slow enough for people to get on and off the capsules without the wheel’s rotation being interrupted. However, the Eye is fully halted for the benefit of the elderly and the disabled.

The London Eye is also known as the Millennium Wheel. The firm Mark Starfield Architects designed the Millennium Wheel to mark the coming of the millennium. The original plan was for the Eye to operate for 5 years from its opening in March 2000. But due to the Eye’s popularity among locals and tourists, the 5 year plan has been extended to 25 years.

The London Eye enjoys an average of 3.5 million visitors a year since its opening. This makes the Eye, London’s top paid tourist attraction. The biggest selling point of the Eye, apart from its massive yet elegant structure, is the view it offers.

Many have likened the London Eye to the Eiffel Tower where visitors can soar and feast on breathtaking views. The capsules allow a 360 degree view; one can see the right and left sides of the Thames River from the Eye easily and leisurely. On a clear day, you can see as far as 25 miles away.

For a time the London Eye was the biggest observation wheel in world. Today it still remains as the largest in Europe but elsewhere it has been surpassed in terms of height or size by the Star of Nanchang in China and the Singapore Flyer in Singapore.

The London Eye is truly worthy of the title icon. Its magnificence spans beyond breadth and size. It is no wonder that it is currently the most popular paid tourist attraction in the city.