London Ferris wheel: history, height

The London Eye in London is one of the highlights of the capital of Great Britain along with Westminster Abbey, the Tower and the Parliament building. But unlike architectural monuments, it regularly serves the needs of tourists. It is also an interesting and exciting attraction. Appearing in 2000, to the offensive of the Millennium, it got its name "Millennium Wheel". And since the booths of the attraction are transparent capsules giving a 360 degree view, he also received a nickname, which soon became the official third name - "The London Eye". In the first year of work, the Ferris wheel was included in the list of "Mast si" in the capital of Great Britain. But in this case it is necessary not only to see this attraction, but also to use it for its direct purpose. "Mast trai" - "should try" - this section exists in many guidebooks for different countries. Basically there are listed the crown dishes and drinks of national cuisines. But to the London wheel of the review, the call of "mast trai" is also suitable. Believe me, you are waiting for an unforgettable experience.

The history of the London Eye

In 1993, the Sunday Times newspaper announced a competition for the construction of a monumental building in the capital of Great Britain. Spouses-architects David Marks and Julia Barfield have submitted their project - a giant Ferris wheel. But the jury ignored this proposal with attention. Then the couple decided to put their idea into practice on their own. Money for construction was found by chance. The architects talked about their idea and their failure with the jury to Bob Elling, the head of British Airways. He also allocated funds (of course, subject to advertising his company). The London Ferris wheel, which became known as the British Airways London Eye, was planned as a temporary structure. It was an experiment, and according to the documents, the attraction should be dismantled in five years, in 2005. But fate decreed otherwise. The London Eye firmly established itself in the capital of Great Britain and became one of its sights.

Building

It is not easy to establish such a huge structure. After all, the weight of only steel parts in the attraction is one thousand seven hundred tons. But there are still 32 booths! And each of them weighs ten thousand kilograms. And the height of the London Ferris wheel, if counted from the base of the support to the top, is one hundred and thirty-five meters. This is approximately the size of a 45-story building. At the time of construction, the London Eye was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. This circumstance immediately brought an attraction to the Guinness Book. The London Eye did not hold the palm for long, while the Ferris wheel with a height of 165 meters was not built in Singapore. Collect this construction had to piecemeal. Segments were brought to the Thames by barges and attached to specially installed platforms in the middle of the river. Then the wheel should be lifted. By the way, it is not vertical, but under the slope, which makes the attraction even more interesting. They lifted the structure very slowly, by two degrees per hour, until it reached its present position.

Where is the London Ferris Wheel

In English, the attraction is called the London Eye and it is easy to find on tourist maps. It is located on the very banks of the Thames. You can get to the London Eye by metro. The nearest subway station is Waterloo. You should follow the signs "South Bank" (South Bank). You can go to the Embankment or "Charing Cross" stations. In that case, you will need to cross the Thames on the Hungerford Bridge. From the metro station "Westminster", you can also go to the wheel of a review, passing the Parliament and Big Ben at the same time.

Attraction

In order for the structure to function properly and to be safe, it was necessary to follow it. But there was no problem with that. Sponsors lined up to hold a PR for their company. After all, a photo of the London Ferris wheel flashed in every guide to the city. It has become as popular as Big Ben. Each company made its own improvements to the London Eye. At the end of 2006, the wheel got LED backlighting, which allowed controlling lights in electronic mode. Cabs of this attraction resemble glass egg-shaped capsules. Each can accommodate 25 people.

What is special about the attraction

Many people in their lives were already riding the Ferris wheel. Many people might think: what's so special about this? Why pay so much money and still stand in a long queue? The fact is that the wheel is moving very slowly - 26 centimeters per second. Therefore, disembarkation and landing of passengers in the capsule is carried out on the go. Stopping the London Ferris wheel does only in special cases: when you need to take on board a person in a wheelchair, etc. And it takes a full turn in half an hour with a small one. During this time, you can admire the view, and make a lot of photos. It is good for the flight to choose clear weather. Then from the height of the Ferris wheel you can see even Windsor (and before him an hour from London). But the features of the attraction are not exhausted. On the wheel you can order a special booth, the so-called Cupid capsule. There you will travel only together (except for the waiter who will serve a couple in love with champagne and fresh strawberries). Agree, this option is not found on other wheels of the review.

Prices and how to buy a ticket

The London Eye is not cheap. The standard ticket for an adult costs 25 pounds, and for a child - 20. There is a nuance: you need to use the opportunity to ride at a certain time. And if you are not lucky with the weather, you will consider the gray haze of fog behind the glass. You can take a ticket with flexible time. It will cost 27.5 pounds. If you pay for two skating, in the light and dark hours of the day, this pleasure will cost you £ 30. The guide services on board the capsule cost 28 pounds. Using a private capsule offers numerous options: from a romantic trip together to corporate parties and wedding ceremonies. For 2800 £, the employees of the attraction will fulfill any your whim. Tickets can be bought at the ticket offices, which are located on the other side of the waterfront. But if you purchase them online, you will save 10 percent of the cost.

How to avoid queues

Almost every guest of the city wants to get on the London Ferris wheel. Therefore, queues for entry into the booths are serious. But if you bought a combined ticket, you have superiority over other visitors to the attraction. There are several such favorable positions. To the London Eye you can buy a forty-minute ride on the Thames on the tourist boat, or visit the aquarium, or visit the museum of Madame Tussauds, or travel to the dungeons of the city. There is such a combined ticket from 32 pounds. Another plus is that the time to visit the Ferris wheel is not fixed.

What opportunities are opened before the client in a standard capsule

London's Ferris wheel is equipped with the latest technology. It used to be just that there were benches for tired passengers and an air conditioning system. Now the comfort in the booth was significantly increased. "Samsung Galaxy Tab" is an interactive guide that will give you details about all the places that you see as you go up and down. Owners of smartphones can take advantage of the free application "London Ai Ofischial", in which circular panoramas and a lot of interesting information will be available. There is a marking on the floor of the capsule. If you stand on these places when going down, you will get into the camera lens, which automatically takes pictures of each booth. You can pay and receive your photo in the souvenir shop next to the attraction.