London’s most popular tourist attraction, The London Eye, is visited by over 3.5 million people per year. The observation wheel was opened in March of 2000 as part of London’s millennium celebrations, and it soon became an iconic landmark. Designed by the husband and wife architect team of David Marks and Julia Barfield, The London Eye is the tallest ‘cantilevered’ observation wheel in the world. It rises high above the London skyline at 135 metres which is equivalent to 64 red telephone boxes piled on top of each other. It can carry 800 passengers per revolution, with each of the 32 passenger ‘capsules’ holding up to 25 people during the gentle 30-minute ride. On a clear day, passengers can see as far as Windsor Castle, and up to 25 miles (40km) in all directions. Since its opening in 2000, The London Eye has won over 80 awards for national and international tourism and outstanding architectural quality and engineering.
- The (EDF Energy) London Eye
- Riverside Building, County Hall, London SE1 7PB
- www.londoneye.com
- Underground: Waterloo, Embankment, Charing Cross or Westminster