London Eye
| London Eye | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Millennium Wheel |
| General information | |
| Status | Operating |
| Type | Observation wheel |
| Location | Lambeth, London |
| Address | Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road |
| Coordinates | 51°30′12″N 0°07′10″W / 51.5033°N 0.1194°W |
| Completed | March 2000[1] |
| Opened | |
| Cost | £70 million[6] |
| Owner | Merlin Entertainments[5] |
| Height | 135 metres (443 ft)[7] |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 120 metres (394 ft)[7] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) |
|
| Architecture firm | Marks Barfield[8] |
| Structural engineer | Arup[4] |
| Other designers | |
| Awards and prizes | Institution of Structural Engineers Special Award 2001[8] |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | Waterloo Westminster |
| Website | |
| londoneye | |
The London Eye, originally the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel,[10] and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over three million visitors annually.[11] It has been featured numerous times in popular culture.
The structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, until the 160-metre (525 ft) Star of Nanchang in China surpassed it in 2006. Unlike taller wheels, the Eye is cantilevered and supported solely by an A-frame on one side. The Eye was the highest public viewing point in London until 2013, when it was surpassed by the 245-metre (804 ft) View from The Shard observation deck.[12][13][14]
The London Eye adjoins the western end of Jubilee Gardens (previously the site of the former Dome of Discovery), on the South Bank of the River Thames between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge beside County Hall, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The nearest tube station is Waterloo.[15]
- ^ "London Eye". Marks Barfield. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ a b "London's big wheel birthday". CNN. 8 March 2001.
- ^ Wells, Matt (2 February 2000). "London Eye begins its millennium revolution". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
TheStoryBehindTheLondonEyewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Merlin Entertainments: Gateway Attractions". Merlin Entertainments. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ Reece, Damian (6 May 2001). "London Eye is turning at a loss". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Structurae London Eye Millennium Wheel". web page. Nicolas Janberg ICS. 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
- ^ a b c Taylor, David (1 March 2001). "ISE rewards the biggest and best". Architects' Journal.
- ^ "London Eye". Tony Gee.
- ^ "London Eye, pioneering observation wheel, turns 25". Reuters. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
- ^ "The London Eye a complete visitor guide". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Up you come, the view's amazing... first look from the Shard's public gallery". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 December 2014
- ^ Whitten, Nick (20 May 2009). "Shard observation deck to be Europe's highest". Construction News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ "Shard rakes in £5million from visitors to viewing platform in first year". London Evening Standard. 21 March 2014.
- ^ "Location and Directions". londoneye.com. Retrieved 22 August 2022.