London Eye is a famous landmark of Foggy Albion

What adventurous travelers we would not consider ourselves, there will still be places that each time with violent force will beckon us. It can be a city, a village, a corner of nature or, say, an attraction. Yes, yes, it turns out, it happens so. Do not believe me? In vain ... Here, for example, the London Eye. This landmark is quite deservedly attributed to the most famous modern technical facilities of the world.

In this article we will discuss not only the wheel itself, the reader will get acquainted with the meaning of the phrase "London Eye" in English, learn about the history of construction, and also get some practical advice on how to purchase tickets.

General description of the object

Literally the name of the attraction can be translated into Russian as the "London Eye". This is actually one of London's most incredible sights, which is no less famous than the Big Ben or Tower Bridge. It was built in honor of the celebration of the new millennium. And now very few people know about what was originally planned, leave the London Eye for five years at most, after which it was to be removed.

But things got a new turn, and "Eye", in the end, became an integral part of the beautiful capital of Foggy Albion. To date, this structure can often be seen in various films, for example, it played a key role in the film "Doctor Who", serving not only as a decoration.

History of construction

This work of art was invented by David MacRes and his wife Julia Barfield. Alas, the project did not win in the contest "Building for a new millennium". They, undoubtedly, expected that somebody would order it, but eventually decided to build it on their own, that is, on their own savings.

The financial support was arranged by the neighbor Bob Eling. Having received permission for the London Eye, the architects began construction. But under the contract, as already noted above, the "Eye" had to stand for only five years, and in 2005 it was necessary to remove it.

It is known that the details of the ferris wheel were transported along the river to the site of construction on special barges. The connection of all segments of the structure was made in a "lying" position on the platforms? Located on the water. After completion, it was raised to its place, but according to a special technology, the rise was only two degrees per hour.

The design of the London Eye is very heavy, metal materials in the total weight are about 1,700 tons.

Design and construction

"London Eye" is a Ferris wheel, located in a very good location, in the center of the city on the very banks of the River Thames. On it there are only 32 cabins for passengers, each cab-capsule weighs slightly more than 10 tons, has a rounded shape in the form of an egg. Such a number is far from accidental, it is a suburb of London.

The rounded rooms are air-conditioned and can accommodate about 25 people. A full turn of the wheel takes about 30 minutes, it almost never stops, because thanks to the small speed people can enter the booths without difficulties. The wheel can only be stopped for the elderly to protect them when entering or exiting the capsule. Outwardly, the structure looks like a wheel from a bicycle, since it is also supported by spokes.

In 2006, all lighting decided to replace the LED, which could be controlled by special devices.

We buy tickets without problems

Seeing the sign with the sign "The London Eye", you can safely go in the direction of the attraction and, finding the cashier, take turns. Tickets can be purchased both locally and through the official website. Note that in cyberspace they cost a little less. But there are also disadvantages when buying online: through the site you order a ticket for a specific date and time, and who knows what the weather will be, because it is changing at any moment in London.

Especially for this, a service was created that allows you to buy a ticket on a certain day, but at any time, or you can buy even for a certain day. But this service costs a little more. An adult ticket for today costs slightly more than 19 British pounds, and a child ticket - about 12.

If there is a desire, you can also join the guide for a fee. You can also rent a London Eye capsule for a company, for lovers or even for various banquets (the cost is more than 4000 pounds per hour).