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How did the London Eye came to be?
How did the London Eye came to be?
The story behind the London Eye is a first-hand account of how London’s favourite tourist attraction came to be… but how it very nearly didn’t.
The story of the men and women who built this great wheel is told through a series of interviews and insights from the very architects who worked out what was needed to build it, from the materials, to the buildings methods and everything in between.
Much of the book focuses on the architectural and engineering processes. What everyone can appreciate however is the way it soars above the skyline and what we can see from the great view!
It’s also known as the Millennium Wheel, situated on the South Bank of the River Thames in Lambeth although everyone calls it The London Eye. It stands some 443 feet tall (135 metres) and was the biggest Ferris wheel in the world until 2006, when the Star of Nanchang wheel was built in China.
The wheel has a diameter of 394 feet (120 metres) and is connected to its hub by 64 cables that function much like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.
Despite being built in 1998/1999, it didn’t get its first paying passenger until March 9, 2000. The wheel goes that slowly that it doesn’t even stop when people get on or off,unless they have a disability.
Destination :London Author/Guide: Marks Barfield Architects Departure Time: 1999
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