Discover

The 'London Eye', also known as the 'Millennium Wheel', is an observation wheel that completed construction in 1999 and opened to the public in March, 2000. It is the tallest observation wheel in the world, although there are larger ferris wheels, such as The Star of Nanchang, which was opened in May 2006. The Singapore Flyer, at 15 metres taller than the London Eye, is due to open in early 2008.^[1]
The London Eye has become the most popular paid visitor attraction in the UK, visited by over 3.5 million people a year.[1]
The London Eye stands high on the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, England, between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges (Coordinates: ).

Contents

History and design

Commercial

Financial controversy

Predecessor

The London Eye in film and television

See also

Nearest rail and tube stations

References

External links

History and design

Designed by architects David Marks, Julia Barfield, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, Steven Chilton, Frank Anatole and Nic Bailey, the wheel carries 32 sealed and air-conditioned passenger capsules attached to its external circumference. Each capsule holds approximately 25 people. It rotates at per second (about ) so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes. The wheel does not usually stop to take on passengers: the rotation rate is so slow that they can easily walk on and off the moving capsules at ground level. It is, however, stopped to allow disabled or elderly passengers time to embark and disembark safely.
The rim of the Eye is supported by tie rods and resembles a huge spoked bicycle wheel, and was depicted as such in a poster advertising a charity cycle race. The lighting for the London Eye was redone with LED lighting from Color Kinetics in December 2006 to allow digital control of the lights as opposed to the manual replacement of gels over fluorescent tubes.^[2]
The wheel was constructed in sections which were floated up the Thames on barges and assembled lying flat on pontoons. Once the wheel was complete it was raised into an upright position by cranes, being lifted at 2 degrees an hour until it reached 65 degrees. It was left in that position for a week while engineers prepared for the second phase of the lift. The total weight of steel in the Eye is 1,700 tonnes (1,870 short tons). The London Eye was built in The Netherlands by the company Hollandia.
It was opened by British Prime Minister Tony Blair at 20:00 GMT on December 31, 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. Since its opening, the Eye, operated by Merlin Entertainments but sponsored by British Airways, has become a major landmark and tourist attraction.

By July 2002, roughly 8.5 million people had ridden the Eye. It had planning permission only for five years, but at that time Lambeth Council agreed to plans to make the attraction permanent.
On the 28th of August 2003 David Blaine famously stood on one of the capsules, as it went around for a full 30 minute cycle, in preparation for his 'Above the Below' stunt.^[3]
Since 1 January 2005, the Eye has been the focal point of London's New Year celebrations, with 10-minute fireworks displays taking place involving fireworks fired from the wheel itself.
Following Merlin Entertainments purchase of the Tussauds Group in 2007, it owns 100% of the Eye, with British Airways continuing its brand association, and also having provided the original construction loans. The Tussauds Group, British Airways and the Marks Barfield family (the lead architects) had previously owned a third of the Eye each.
It was announced in 2006 that the Merlin £95 Annual Pass could also be used on the London Eye.
In August of 2007, it was announced that London Eye could be temporarily be renamed "The McCartney Eye" after Beatle Paul McCartney. The renaming would coincide with the release of a McCartney related DVD set titled "The McCartney Years".^[4]

Commercial

As of July 2007, a standard adult ticket costs £15.00, children aged between 5 & 15 - £7.50, under 5 - free. There are several luxury packages available, catering to corporate hospitality, weddings and special occasions. For £299, a 'champagne capsule' can be booked, offering exclusive use of one of the capsules together with a host and drinks. The London Eye also caters to weddings and civil partnership ceremonies, starting at £1700.[2]

Financial controversy

On 25 May 2005 there were reports of a leaked letter showing that the South Bank Centre — owners of part of the land on which the struts of the eye are located — had served a notice to quit on the attraction along with a demand for an increase in rent from £65,000 per year to £2.5 million, which the operators rejected as unaffordable [3].
On 25 May 2005, London mayor Ken Livingstone vowed that the landmark would remain in London. He also pledged that if the row were not resolved he would use his powers to ask the London Development Agency to issue a compulsory purchase order [4]. The land in question is a small part of the Jubilee Gardens, which was given to the SBC for £1 when the Greater London Council was broken up.
The South Bank Centre and the British Airways London Eye agreed a 25-year lease on 8 February 2006, after a judicial review over the rent row. The lease agreement meant that the South Bank Centre, a publicly-funded charity, would receive at least £500,000 a year from the attraction, the status of which is secured for the foreseeable future. Tussauds also announced the acquisition of the entire one-third interests of British Airways and the Marks Barfield family in the Eye, as well as the outstanding debt to BA. These agreements gave Tussauds 100% ownership of the Eye and resolved the debt from the Eye's construction loan from British Airways, which stood at more than £150 million by mid-2005 and had been increasing at 25% per annum.[5]

Predecessor

According to the ''BBC History Magazine'', January 2007 issue, there was a predecessor to the London Eye called the "Great Wheel of London". Capable of carrying 1200 people, it was built in Earl's Court in 1895 and closed in 1906 after a problem trapped 74 people for four and a half hours. [6]

The London Eye in film and television

The London Eye is often seen in many films and television shows when London is used as a backdrop or a location. Interestingly, though, the James Bond film ''The World Is Not Enough'' includes a Thames boat chase filmed ''before'' the Eye was erected, yet culminating at an operational Millennium Dome, which would be impossible in real life.

★ It is seen in episode 11 of the animated series ''Death Note''.

★ It is one of the locations of ''Bride and Prejudice'' (2004)

★ In 2005, it was used on the reality show ''The Amazing Race'' Season 7, in which teams had to go to the top of the London Eye to search for a location with the help of binoculars.

★ In the 2004 movie ''Thunderbirds'', Thunderbird 2 flies through London and lands next to the London Eye.

★ Two characters from the comedy show ''The League of Gentlemen'' are seen riding it in the spin-off ''The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse'', much to the confusion of nearby tourists.

★ On ''The Simpsons'', Homer and Marge Simpson rode on it in search of their children (Bart and Lisa) in "The Regina Monologues" episode, where their capsule becomes a detachable floatation device.

★ Part of BBMak's music video "Back Here" was filmed on the wheel.

★ An episode of ''Hustle'' opens with a confidence scheme trying to sell someone the London Eye.

★ The movie ''If Only'' has a scene that takes place in a private capsule of the London Eye.

★ ''Wimbledon'', starring Kirsten Dunst, also features a scene on the London Eye.

★ In an episode of ''EastEnders'', Jim proposed to Dot in one of the capsules of the London Eye.

★ In an episode of Dead Ringers, Jon Culshaw dresses as The Doctor and warns people not to listen to the messages over the speaker system because, 'It's a trap!"

★ The movie ''Agent Cody Banks 2'' had a scene in a car of the London Eye.

★ In the season one final of ''Tripping Over'' Tamsin and Sam hold their wedding in one of the pods.

★ The Indian Telugu movie ''Jayam Manadera'' starring Venkatesh and Soundarya has a song in which London Eye is seen from all the corners of London.

★ In 2007 in an episode of ''Neighbours'', Karl proposed to Susan in one of the capsules of the London Eye.

★ In the 2007 movie '', the London Eye is damaged and the Fantastic Four must prevent it falling into the Thames. Interestingly, the actors in the scene didn't actually go to London and instead acted in front of a green screen (CGI)

★ It is featured during a "Wizard Chase" scene in ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix''.

★ It is seen when Austin Powers enters his new London headquarters in ''Goldmember.

★ A scene of the ''Tracy Beaker'' movie takes place in the Eye when Tracy talks to her mum.

★ In the 2005 Doctor Who episode Rose the London Eye was used as a communication/control device for the Nestene Consciousness.

See also

★ Millennium Dome

★ Beetham Tower

★ Tall buildings in London

Nearest rail and tube stations

===National Rail===

★ Waterloo station
===London Underground===

★ Westminster tube station (Jubilee, District, Circle lines)

★ Waterloo station (Waterloo & City, Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern lines)
==="River Bus" services===

★ Waterloo Pier (Tate and Tower Visitor services)

References

1. Singapore Flyer may open to public earlier than scheduled Mun Wai Wong
2. http://colorkinetics.com/showcase/installs/londoneye/
3.
In Pictures: Blaine on the London Eye
4.
Paul McCartn-eye: PLANS TO RENAME LONDON EYE AFTER BEATLE MACCA

External links

★ Official website

★ Architects website

★

★ Short Film from A-Level media students featuring the wheel.

★ 360 Panorama underneath the London Eye