# London Eye

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The **London Eye**, originally the **Millennium Wheel**, is a [cantilevered](/source/Cantilever) [observation wheel](/source/Observation_wheel) on the [South Bank](/source/South_Bank) of the [River Thames](/source/River_Thames) in London. It is the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel,[10] and the most popular paid [tourist attraction in the United Kingdom](/source/Tourist_attractions_in_the_United_Kingdom) with more than three million visitors annually.[11] 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](/source/World's_tallest_Ferris_wheel), until the 160-metre (525-foot) [Star of Nanchang](/source/Star_of_Nanchang) in China surpassed it in 2006. Unlike taller wheels, the Eye is cantilevered and supported solely by an [A-frame](/source/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-foot) [View from The Shard](/source/The_View_from_The_Shard) [observation deck](/source/Observation_deck).[12][13][14]

The London Eye adjoins the western end of [Jubilee Gardens](/source/Jubilee_Gardens,_Lambeth) (previously the site of the former [Dome of Discovery](/source/Dome_of_Discovery)), on the South Bank of the River Thames between [Westminster Bridge](/source/Westminster_Bridge) and [Hungerford Bridge](/source/Hungerford_Bridge) beside [County Hall](/source/County_Hall,_London), in the [London Borough of Lambeth](/source/London_Borough_of_Lambeth). The nearest [tube](/source/London_Underground) station is [Waterloo](/source/Waterloo_tube_station).[15]

## History

### Conception

The London Eye was conceived by architects [David Marks](/source/David_Marks_(architect)) and [Julia Barfield](/source/Julia_Barfield), a husband-and-wife team who met in 1972 while studying at the [Architectural Association](/source/Architectural_Association_School_of_Architecture) and living in [squats](/source/Squatting_in_England_and_Wales) in [Stockwell](/source/Stockwell), south London.[16] After graduating, Barfield joined [Norman Foster](/source/Norman_Foster), contributing to projects such as the [Royal Academy](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Arts)’s Sackler Galleries and [Stansted Airport](/source/London_Stansted_Airport), while Marks worked for [Richard Rogers](/source/Richard_Rogers) on the [Lloyd’s Building](/source/Lloyd's_building) and the [Inmos microprocessor factory](/source/Inmos_microprocessor_factory).[16][17] Both firms were leading exponents of [high-tech architecture](/source/High-tech_architecture), noted for their innovative [structural engineering](/source/Structural_engineering) and use of modern materials. The couple founded their own practice, [Marks Barfield Architects](/source/Marks_Barfield), in 1989 following the birth of their first child, seeking a better [work–life balance](/source/Work%E2%80%93life_balance).[16][18]

During the [early 1990s recession](/source/Early_1990s_recession), the firm struggled and took on small commissions such as kitchen extensions and brochure design.[17][18][19] In 1993, Marks and Barfield entered a competition organised by [*The Sunday Times*](/source/The_Sunday_Times) and the [Architecture Foundation](/source/Architecture_Foundation) to design a landmark to commemorate the beginning of the [third millennium](/source/Third_millennium).[20][21] As entries were to be published in the newspaper, they saw it as a valuable opportunity for publicity.[16]

Inspired by views of the [BT Tower](/source/BT_Tower) and the [Crystal Palace transmitter](/source/Crystal_Palace_transmitting_station) on his daily commute, Marks conceived the idea of giving the public access to elevated views of London.[20] The pair realised that a wheel could “get people up high easily, efficiently and effortlessly” while avoiding comparisons with the [Eiffel Tower](/source/Eiffel_Tower).[16] Barfield suggested the South Bank for its central location and historic significance as the site of the [Festival of Britain](/source/Festival_of_Britain) fifty years earlier.[16] Together with structural engineer [Jane Wernick](/source/Jane_Wernick) of [Arup](/source/Arup_Group), with whom they had previously collaborated, they submitted a concept for a 500-foot (152-metre) wheel on the banks of the River Thames.[20]

The competition ultimately concluded without a winner, after the "disappointed" judges—Foster, [Richard Burdett](/source/Ricky_Burdett), [Andrew Neil](/source/Andrew_Neil), [Hugh Pearman](/source/Hugh_Pearman_(architecture_critic)), and [Valerie Singleton](/source/Valerie_Singleton)—deemed none of the proposals sufficiently imaginative.[22] "We were narked. We had a great idea and no one was going to see it,” Marks later recalled.[23] Undeterred and encouraged by friends, the architects remortgaged their home and applied to [Lambeth Council](/source/Lambeth_London_Borough_Council) for [outline planning permission](/source/Outline_planning_permission).[16]

In the summer of 1994, *[Evening Standard](/source/Evening_Standard)* editor [Stewart Steven](/source/Stewart_Steven) and correspondent Mira Bar-Hillel launched a "Back The Wheel" campaign which attracted public support.[20] In December that year, the project secured a major backer when [Bob Ayling](/source/Robert_Ayling), chief executive of [British Airways](/source/British_Airways) and a neighbour of Marks and Barfield, persuaded the airline to invest £600,000 in [seed funding](/source/Seed_money).[20][24]

This investment enabled Marks Barfield to commission Arup to produce detailed engineering plans and to consult statutory bodies and local community groups.[20][16] [Planning permission](/source/Planning_permission_in_the_United_Kingdom) for the Millennium Wheel was granted in 1996.[16] After British banks declined to finance the project, funding was ultimately secured from the German bank [Westdeutsche Landesbank](/source/Westdeutsche_Landesbank) and the Japanese conglomerate [Sumitomo Corporation](/source/Sumitomo_Corporation).[20]

### Design and construction

The rim of the Eye is supported by tensioned steel cables[25] and resembles a huge spoked [bicycle wheel](/source/Bicycle_wheel). The lighting was re-done with [LED](/source/Light-emitting_diode) lighting from [Color Kinetics](/source/Color_Kinetics) in December 2006 to allow digital control of the lights as opposed to the manual replacement of [gels](/source/Color_gel) over fluorescent tubes.[26]

[Mace](/source/Mace_(construction_company)) was responsible for construction management, with [Hollandia](/source/Hollandia_(steel_company)) as the main steelwork contractor and [Tilbury Douglas](/source/Tilbury_Douglas) as the civil contractor. Consulting engineers Tony Gee & Partners designed the foundation works while Beckett Rankine designed the marine works.[27] The wheel was constructed in sections which were floated up the Thames on barges and assembled lying flat on piled platforms in the river. Once the wheel was complete it was lifted into an upright position by a [strand jack](/source/Strand_jack) system made by [Enerpac](/source/Enerpac).[28] It was first raised at 2 degrees per hour until it reached 65 degrees, then left in that position for a week while engineers prepared for the second phase of the lift.

The project was European with major components coming from six countries: the steel was supplied from the UK and fabricated in the Netherlands by Hollandia, the cables came from Italy, the bearings came from Germany ([FAG/Schaeffler Group](/source/Schaeffler_Group)), the spindle and hub were cast in the Czech Republic, the capsules were made by [Poma](/source/Poma) in France (and the glass for these came from Italy), and the electrical components from the UK.[29]

### Opening

The London Eye was formally opened by the Prime Minister [Tony Blair](/source/Tony_Blair) on 31 December 1999, but did not open to the paying public until 9 March 2000 because of a capsule clutch problem.[2]

The London Eye was originally intended as a temporary attraction, with a five-year lease. In December 2001, operators submitted an application to [Lambeth Council](/source/Lambeth_London_Borough_Council) to give the London Eye permanent status, and the application was granted in July 2002.[30][31][32]

### Southbank Centre dispute

In May 2005, there were reports of a leaked letter showing that the [Southbank Centre](/source/Southbank_Centre) (SBC)—owners of part of the land on which the struts of the Eye are located—had served a notice to quit on the attraction along with a demand for an increase in rent from £65,000[33] per year to £2.5 million[failed verification], which the operator rejected as unaffordable.[34]

Mayor [Ken Livingstone](/source/Ken_Livingstone) pledged that if the dispute was not resolved he would ask the [London Development Agency](/source/London_Development_Agency) to issue a [compulsory purchase order](/source/Compulsory_purchase_order).[35] The land in question is a small part of the [Jubilee Gardens](/source/Jubilee_Gardens,_Lambeth), which was given to the SBC for £1 when the [Greater London Council](/source/Greater_London_Council) was broken up.[34]

In February 2006, after a request for [judicial review](/source/Judicial_review_in_English_law) was refused,[33] a new 25-year lease was agreed under which the SBC would receive a percentage of the London Eye's turnover, with a minimum of £500,000 per year.[36]

### Change of ownership

Architects [Marks Barfield](/source/Marks_Barfield), the Tussauds Group, and [British Airways](/source/British_Airways) were the original owners of the London Eye.[37] Tussauds announced the acquisition of British Airways' share in 2005, then Marks Barfield's in 2006.[38][37] The purchase gave Tussauds sole ownership and resolved debt owed to British Airways for construction costs, which stood at more than £175 million and had been charged at an interest rate of 25% per annum.[39] Tussauds was later merged with [Merlin Entertainments](/source/Merlin_Entertainments).[40][41]

### Continued operations

In 2009, a [4D cinema](/source/4D_film) was added to the attraction.[42]

As of 2025, the attraction has carried more than 85 million passengers.[43]

## Passenger capsules

The wheel's 32 sealed and air-conditioned [ovoidal](/source/Oval) passenger capsules, designed[44] and supplied[45] by [Poma](/source/Poma), are attached to the external circumference of the wheel and rotated by electric motors. The capsules are numbered from 1 to 33, excluding number 13 for [superstitious reasons](/source/Triskaidekaphobia).[46] Each of the 10-tonne (11-short ton)[47] capsules represents one of the [London boroughs](/source/London_boroughs),[25] and holds up to 25 people,[48] who are free to walk around inside the capsule, though seating is provided. The wheel rotates at 26 cm (10 in) per second (about 0.9 km/h or 0.6 mph) so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes, giving a theoretical capacity of 1,600 passengers per hour. It does not usually stop to take on passengers; the rotation rate is slow enough to allow passengers to walk on and off the moving capsules at ground level.[47] It is stopped to allow disabled or elderly passengers time to embark and disembark safely.[49]

In 2009, the first stage of a £12.5 million capsule upgrade began. Each capsule was taken down and floated down the river to [Tilbury Docks](/source/Port_of_Tilbury) in Essex.[50]

On 2 June 2013, a passenger capsule was named the Coronation Capsule to mark the 60th anniversary of the [coronation of Queen Elizabeth II](/source/Coronation_of_Queen_Elizabeth_II).[51]

In March 2020, the London Eye celebrated its 20th birthday by turning several of its capsules into experiences themed around London. The experiences included a pub in a capsule, a [West End theatre](/source/West_End_theatre) capsule and a garden party with flower arrangements to represent the eight London [Royal Parks](/source/The_Royal_Parks).[52]

## Sponsors

From the time of opening until 2008, the attraction was known as the British Airways London Eye under a [naming rights](/source/Naming_rights) deal.[53] In August 2009, it was rebranded as the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, reflecting the name of its operator.[54]

[EDF Energy](/source/EDF_Energy) became the sponsor in 2011, reportedly paying about £2.5 million a year.[55] The deal coincided with its sponsorship of the [London 2012 Olympic Games](/source/2012_Summer_Olympics).[56] A capsule was repainted bright orange to match the company's branding, but local councillors refused consent and requested it be restored to its original appearance.[57][58]

In 2015, the attraction rebranded as the [Coca-Cola](/source/Coca-Cola) London Eye, drawing criticism from children's health charities.[59] Labour MP [Keith Vaz](/source/Keith_Vaz) urged the Government to intervene, condemning the "irresponsible" promotion of a high-sugar product "at a time of record [child obesity](/source/Childhood_obesity), rotten teeth and [diabetes](/source/Diabetes)."[60]

In 2020, the online travel retailer [lastminute.com](/source/Lastminute.com) became the new sponsor, with the wheel illuminated at night in the brand’s hot pink.[61]

## Cultural significance

The London Eye has become widely regarded as a symbol of London.[24][62][63][64] In a 2006 government-commissioned survey, it was also named an icon of modern England.[65] Its image has been depicted inside [British passports](/source/British_passport),[66] in the [moquette](/source/Moquette) design on the seats of some London Underground trains,[67] and in the [closing ceremony](/source/2012_Summer_Olympics_closing_ceremony) of the 2012 Summer Olympics.[68]

People seeking to settle in the UK or become British citizens may be tested on the height of the London Eye when taking the [Life in the UK test](/source/Life_in_the_UK_test).[69]

The structure serves as the focal point for [London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations](/source/New_Year's_Eve_in_London);[70] each year more than 2,000 fireworks are launched from the wheel itself during the televised display.[71]

As of 2025, reports indicated that at least 6,000 [wedding proposals](/source/Marriage_proposal) had taken place on the attraction.[43]

At the start of the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic) in 2020, the London Eye joined other landmarks in illuminating in blue as part of the [Clap for our Carers](/source/Clap_for_our_Carers) campaign in support of [National Health Service](/source/National_Health_Service) staff.[72]

Beginning in the 2020s, the London Eye in collaboration with the [New Crescent Society](/source/New_Crescent_Society) started to illuminate once the crescent moon was sighted for the Islamic month of [Shawwal](/source/Shawwal) marking the beginning of the occasion of [Eid Al Fitr](/source/Eid_Al_Fitr).[73]

## Critical reception

[Sir Richard Rogers](/source/Sir_Richard_Rogers), winner of the 2007 [Pritzker Architecture Prize](/source/Pritzker_Architecture_Prize), wrote of the London Eye in a book about the project:

The Eye has done for London what the Eiffel Tower did for Paris, which is to give it a symbol and to let people climb above the city and look back down on it. Not just specialists or rich people, but everybody. That's the beauty of it: it is public and accessible, and it is in a great position at the heart of London.[4]

## Transport links

The nearest [London Underground](/source/London_Underground) station is [Waterloo](/source/Waterloo_tube_station), although [Charing Cross](/source/Charing_Cross_tube_station), [Embankment](/source/Embankment_tube_station), and [Westminster](/source/Westminster_tube_station) are also within easy walking distance.[15]

Connection with [National Rail](/source/National_Rail) services is made at [London Waterloo station](/source/London_Waterloo_station) and [London Waterloo East station](/source/London_Waterloo_East_station).[15]

[London River Services](/source/London_River_Services) operated by [Thames Clippers](/source/Thames_Clippers) and [City Cruises](/source/City_Cruises) stop at the [London Eye Pier](/source/London_Eye_Pier).[15]

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1. ["Disabled Guests"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150329102331/http://www.londoneye.com/VisitorInformation/DisabledGuests/default/Default.aspx). London Eye. Archived from [the original](http://www.londoneye.com/VisitorInformation/DisabledGuests/default/Default.aspx) on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2014.

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1. ["London Eye transformed to celebrate 20 years"](https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-03-06/london-eye-transformed-to-celebrate-20-years/). *[ITV News](/source/ITV_News)*. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.

1. ["London Eye to get (another) new name"](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london-eye-to-get-another-new-name-6553003.html). *[Evening Standard](/source/Evening_Standard)*. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2017.

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1. ["London Eye to be renamed in £8m EDF sponsorship deal"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12138387). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2025.

1. Eleftheriou-Smith, Loulla-Mae (7 January 2011). ["EDF Energy signs three-year London Eye sponsorship"](https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/edf-energy-signs-three-year-london-eye-sponsorship/1048247). *[Campaign](/source/Campaign_(magazine))*. Retrieved 14 April 2025.

1. ["London Eye's "obtrusive" orange pod vetoed by Lambeth councillors"](https://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5192). *London SE1*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190506175051/https://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5192) 6 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 April 2025.

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1. Hunt, El (14 November 2019). ["The London Eye is turning pink in 2020 (at night, anyway)"](https://www.timeout.com/london/news/the-london-eye-is-turning-pink-in-2020-at-night-anyway-111419). *[Time Out London](/source/Time_Out_London)*. Retrieved 24 April 2020.

1. ["25 years on, how the London Eye became a symbol of the UK's capital"](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3301731/how-london-eye-became-symbol-uks-capital). *[South China Morning Post](/source/South_China_Morning_Post)*. [Agence France-Presse](/source/Agence_France-Presse). 10 March 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

1. ["London Eye marks 10th anniversary"](https://timesofmalta.com/article/london-eye-marks-10-th-anniversary.297582). *[Times of Malta](/source/Times_of_Malta)*. PA Media. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

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1. ["London Eye tops England icon poll"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4593786.stm). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

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1. ["Moquette sample; 'Barman' or 'Landmark', designed by Wallace Sewell, 2010"](https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/vehicle-parts/item/2010-7676). *[London Transport Museum](/source/London_Transport_Museum)*. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

1. Rayner, Gordon (13 August 2012). ["London 2012 Closing Ceremony: Del Boy and Darcey give Rio a unique act to follow"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/london-2012/9471474/London-2012-Closing-Ceremony-Del-Boy-and-Darcey-give-Rio-a-unique-act-to-follow.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. Retrieved 17 April 2025. With the London Eye at its centre, the show opened with models of the capital’s best-known landmarks

1. ["Peers say citizenship test should focus on essential knowledge, not trivia"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43807963). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2026.

1. Hurrell, Wendy (6 March 2025). ["London Eye at 25: The wheel that nearly wasn't"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62x8x8r49eo). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

1. Dams, Tim (19 December 2014). ["Behind the scenes: London New Year's Eve fireworks"](https://www.televisual.com/news/behind-the-scenes-london-new-year-s-eve-fireworks_bid-700/). *Televisual*. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

1. Penna, Dominic (23 April 2020). ["Clap For Our Carers: what time is the NHS applause tonight?"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/nhs-clap-for-carers-time-tonight-thursday/). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. [ISSN 0307-1235](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0307-1235). [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/nhs-clap-for-carers-time-tonight-thursday/) 11 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2020.

1. ["Eid in the Square 2023"](https://www.london.gov.uk/events/eid-square-2023). *London City Hall*. Retrieved 3 August 2025.

## External links

- [Architect's website](https://www.marksbarfield.com/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [London Eye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.