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An Apollonaut travel guide
The landmark behind the view.
A millennium project, an unusual piece of engineering and a view over Westminster offer several ways into the story of the London Eye.
On this page
A millennium project
The London Eye was designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield and first called the Millennium Wheel. It was ceremonially opened on 31 December 1999 and opened to the public on 9 March 2000.
It was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel until 2006, and London’s highest public viewing point until 2013.
Held from one side
The wheel stands 135 metres high and is supported by an A-frame on one side only. It was assembled lying flat on platforms in the river and then lifted upright.
Its 32 capsules, each holding up to 25 people, make one rotation in about 30 minutes.
On the South Bank
The wheel stands at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, beside County Hall and between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge.
This history belongs to the place and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
