London Eye
| London Eye | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Millennium Wheel |
| General information | |
| Status | Operating |
| Type | Observation wheel |
| Location | Lambeth, London |
| Address | Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road |
| Coordinates | 51°30′12″N 0°07′10″W / 51.5033°N 0.1194°W |
| Completed | March 2000 |
| Opened |
|
| Cost | £70 million |
| Owner | Merlin Entertainments |
| Height | 135 metres (443 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 120 metres (394 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) |
|
| Architecture firm | Marks Barfield |
| Structural engineer | Arup |
| Other designers |
|
| Awards and prizes | Institution of Structural Engineers Special Award 2001 |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | Waterloo Westminster |
| Website | |
| londoneye | |
The London Eye, originally the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over three million visitors annually. It has been featured numerous times in popular culture.
The structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, until the 160-metre (525 ft) Star of Nanchang in China surpassed it in 2006. Unlike taller wheels, the Eye is cantilevered and supported solely by an A-frame on one side. The Eye was the highest public viewing point in London until 2013, when it was surpassed by the 245-metre (804 ft) View from The Shard observation deck.
The London Eye adjoins the western end of Jubilee Gardens (previously the site of the former Dome of Discovery), on the South Bank of the River Thames between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge beside County Hall, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The nearest tube station is Waterloo.