London eye

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The London Eye

Information
Location Western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames, London, UK
Status Complete
Constructed 1999
Use Observation wheel
Height
Roof 135 metres (443 ft)
Companies
Architect David Marks, Julia Barfield, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, Steven Chilton and Nic Bailey
The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest (its height is 135metres (443 ft) [1]) Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3 million people a year.[2]


At the time it was erected it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until it was surpassed by the Star of Nanchang (160m) in May 2006, and then the Singapore Flyer (165m) on February 11, 2008. However, it is still described as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel" (because the entire structure is supported by an A-frame on one side only) by its operators.[3]

The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The site is adjacent to that of the former Dome of Discovery, which was built for the Festival of Britain in 1951.