The London Eye: 25th Anniversary

On the dawn of the new millennium, an eye-catching landmark was erected in London. A giant Ferris wheel called the London Eye was built on the south bank of the River Thames, next to County Hall and opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. It was meant to be a temporary structure to celebrate the inauguration of new era as a temporary structure. A quarter of a century later, it has become permanent and is one of the city’s most-visited tourist attractions.

a winning design

The London Eye was the result of a 1993 competition sponsored by the Architecture Foundation and newspaper The Sunday Times. No official winner was declared, but the design by husband-and-wife team Julia Barfield and David Marks of Marks Barfield Architects was given the go-ahead. At 135 metres tall and 120 metres in diameter, it was the biggest Ferris wheel in the world at the time. Construction started in 1998. A year later, it was assembled horizontally over the Thames and then pulled into its vertical position. As a cantilevered Ferris wheel, it is supported only on one side. 

Prime Minister Tony Blair inaugurated the London Eye on 31 December 1999 but due to a technical glitch, it did not open to the paying public until March 2000. And the public has been paying continuously since then. The attraction has a staggering 3.5 million visitors a year. With tickets priced at £30 per adult, and while it has changed owners several times since it was built, it draws a healthy revenue. 

BREATHTAKING VIEWS

Riding the London Eye is a unique experience. The thousand-tonne wheel can carry eight hundred people per revolution, in thirty-two egg-shaped capsules, each representing a London borough. The comfortable pods offer breathtaking views of the city. On a clear day, you can see as far as forty kilometres, all the way to Windsor Castle. It takes thirty minutes to complete a round. Rotating at a leisurely 0.5km per hour, its movement is continuous, with guests jumping on and off. 

Romantic destination

Now a fixture on the skyline, the London Eye has become part of the city’s fabric. Every New Year’s Eve, it serves as the centre point of a spectacular fireworks display. The late acclaimed architect Sir Richard Rogers observed in 2007: “The Eye has done for London what the Eiffel Tower did for Paris.” Having witnessed more than five thousand marriage proposals, it has also become one of the most romantic spots in the world, along with the Eiffel Tower itself.