London Eye
| London Eye (Millennium Wheel) | |
|---|---|
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| Data | |
| Type | Ferris wheel |
| place | London , England , UK |
| opening | 9th of March 2000 |
| height | 135 meters |
| Gondolas | 32 |
| Passengers per gondola | 25-28 |
| speed | 1 km / h |
The London Eye ( Engl. "London Eye"), also known as the Millennium Wheel , with a height of 135 meters the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe. It stands in central London on the south bank of the Thames near Westminster Bridge and is considered one of the landmarks of the British capital.
Construction of the Ferris wheel began in 1998. On October 10, 1999, the construction was erected. The opening for visitors was delayed until March 9, 2000 due to technical problems.
The London Eye was originally intended to operate for a limited time of around five years, but given its great success this was discarded.
features
The London Eye has 32 floor-to-ceiling glazed and air-conditioned gondolas, each with space for 25–28 people. The glass gondolas are mounted in two rotating rings so that the gondolas are always horizontal.
The ellipsoid gondolas are located outside of the wheel, which allows an almost unrestricted panoramic view. The wheel rotates at a speed of 0.26 m / s (just under 1 km / h) and takes about 30 minutes for one rotation. The low speed makes it possible to change passengers while driving, so that the bike only stops to allow wheelchair users to enter. It is driven by 16 drive wheels in four units with four tires each, which act as friction wheels on both sides of the wheel rim and turn it.
If visibility is optimal, you can see up to 40 km from the Ferris wheel, including up to Windsor Castle, just outside London .
Planning and construction
The ferris wheel was designed by architects David Marks and Julia Barfield . The structural engineer was John Roberts , who later worked with Marks Barfield on the British Airways i360 observation tower in Brighton. Marks and Barfield had tried to sell the idea to other cities after the success of the London Eye, but it turned out to be too expensive, so they designed the i360 observation tower as a cheaper alternative . Arup was originally involved as an engineering company for the London Eye . However, this got out when the Mitsubishi construction company, with which it was associated, withdrew. Nick Bailey designed the gondolas . The realization was carried out by the Dutch steel construction company Hollandia . The axis of rotation and the one-sided, inclined support made of tubes and clamping elements were supplied by the Czech engineering company Škoda . FAG Kugelfischer developed and built the huge spherical roller bearing on the hub in Schweinfurt . The capsules and the stabilization system come from the French company Sigma. The drive was supplied by Bosch Rexroth . On September 10, 1999, the Dutch specialist company Smit-Tak tried to use one of the largest floating cranes in the world to erect the wheel of the London Eye, which was assembled on its side, but the attempt failed. It was only a month later that the wheel could initially be straightened by 60 degrees. It took another week to lift it into its final position.
operator
The Merlin Entertainments Group owns and operates the Ferris wheel. The online travel search engine lastminute.com has been a sponsor since February 2020. Previously, EDF Energy was the sponsor from 2011 to the end of 2014 and Coca-Cola from 2015 to the end of January 2020 . When it opened in 2000, it still belonged to the Tussauds Group , British Airways and the Marks Barfield family of architects. In 2006 Tussaud acquired the shares from the other owners and was then taken over by Merlin in 2007.
classification
The London Eye is the fourth largest Ferris wheel in the world. It was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world until January 4, 2006, but was then replaced by the 160-meter-high “ Star of Nanchang ” Ferris wheel in Nanchang , China, which in turn was when the Singapore Flyer opened on March 1, 2008 largest Ferris wheel in the world was replaced (see also Dubai Wheel ). The high roller in Las Vegas has been the largest Ferris wheel since 2014 .
4D experience
The “4D Experience” is a 4D cinema near the London Eye that the visitor can visit with the normal admission ticket. A four-minute 4D film is shown in which wind, clouds, snow or fireworks are simulated.
Web links
- Official website - information, opening times, prices and photos
- Zoomable satellite image with an imposing shadow of the ferris wheel on the Thames
Individual evidence
- ^ London Eye , Structurae
- ^ The 10th of October 1999 AD, London Eye Erected , information-britain.co.uk
- ^ Terms and Conditions - London Eye. Retrieved November 16, 2018 .
- ↑ How long will I be on the London Eye? Retrieved February 27, 2017 (American English).
- ^ Portrait of John Roberts in Structural Engineer, 2018, no.2
- ^ Spiegel-Online: Breakdown at the London Eye. Retrieved August 14, 2018 .
- ↑ London Eye will be in the pink with Lastminute.com. In: Travelweekly. November 14, 2019, accessed on February 22, 2020 .
- ^ EDF Energy signs three-year London Eye sponsorship. (No longer available online.) Brandrepublic.com, archived from the original on November 11, 2012 ; accessed on August 14, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Coca-Cola to sponsor the London Eye. The Guardian, September 16, 2014, accessed January 18, 2015 .
- ^ 4D Experience at the EDF Energy London Eye. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on September 24, 2011 ; accessed on September 18, 2011 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 51 ° 30 ′ 12 ″ N , 0 ° 7 ′ 11 ″ W.