The Eye of London, or as it is also known as the Millennium Wheel, is a giant Ferris wheel installed in London on the banks of the Thames. The wheel is 135 metres high. It was installed in honour of the Millennium celebrations. The architects are David Marks and Julia Barfield.
The wheel has 32 egg-shaped passenger capsules, based on the number of of the boroughs that make up Greater London. Each capsule holds up to 25 people. The capsules are fully enclosed, so during the journey passengers can either sit, or they can walk freely around the cabin. The wheel moves at a speed of 26 cm per second (0.9 kilometres an hour) and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete a full revolution. This speed allows the wheel not to be stopped for embarking and disembarking passengers, but for the elderly and disabled people the wheel is stopped for safety reasons.
Fragments of the wheel were brought down the Thames on barges and mounted in a horizontal position, then a special lifting system lifted the completed wheel. The Ferris wheel immediately became very popular, it is the most visited paid attraction in London, and 3.5 million people a year view the panorama of London a panoramic view of London.
The massive structure of the Ferris wheel looks openwork and light, and its installation in London is often compared to the appearance of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Eye London Eye has become just as much a symbol of the city and also gives its visitors a rare bird's eye view of the entire city. At dusk the Eye of London is an unforgettable sight.
