London Eye

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The London Eye is a giant observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, England. It is 135 metres tall, and the wheel itself is 120 metres across. It opened to the public in 2000 as the Millennium Wheel and was then the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until bigger ones were built in China and elsewhere.

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At a glance

Country: United Kingdom
Location: London, UK
Built: 2000
Height: 135 m

Quick answers

Where is London Eye?

London Eye is in London, UK, United Kingdom.

When was London Eye built?

London Eye was built in 2000.

How tall is London Eye?

London Eye is about 135 m tall.

A giant observation wheel on the South Bank of the Thames with sweeping views over London.

It is still the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, which means it is held up from just one side by an A-frame. More than three million people visit each year, making it the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom. It stands between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge, beside County Hall, and the nearest Underground station is Waterloo.

A competition idea

The wheel was dreamed up by a married pair of architects, David Marks and Julia Barfield. In 1993 they entered a newspaper competition to design a landmark celebrating the start of the third millennium. David Marks was inspired by the views he saw from the BT Tower and Crystal Palace transmitter on his daily commute. They worked with the engineer Jane Wernick at Arup and first proposed a wheel of about 152 metres.

Why a wheel?

Marks and Barfield realised a wheel could take people up high easily and gently, with none of the stairs or lifts of a tower. They also wanted to avoid comparisons with the Eiffel Tower. Barfield suggested the South Bank for its central position and its history as the site of the Festival of Britain fifty years earlier. Until 2013, the Eye was the highest public viewing point in London, when the Shard's observation deck took over.

Fun facts

It has 32 capsules, one for each London borough.
The London Eye was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world when it opened in 2000.
It is supported on one side only, like a bicycle wheel on a fork.
It was London's highest public viewing point until 2013.
Its first name was the Millennium Wheel.