London Eye, formerly Millennium Wheel, revolving observation wheel, or Ferris wheel, in London, on the South Bank of the River Thames in the borough of Lambeth. At an overall height of 443 feet (135 metres), the London Eye was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel from 1999, when it was built, until 2006, when it was surpassed by the Star of Nanchang, in Nanchang, China. It is one of London’s most popular tourist attractions for which an admission fee is charged and is sometimes credited with sparking a worldwide revival of Ferris wheel construction. What is now called the London Eye originated as an entry submitted by David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects in 1993 to a competition, sponsored by The Sunday Times and Great Britain’s Architecture Foundation, for a new landmark to commemorate the millennium in London. Although no winner was declared, Marks and Barfield undertook the development of the project themselves and found the site where the wheel now stands. Much of the funding was provided by British Airways. Construction began in 1998, and the wheel was put together over the river, in a horizontal position, before being pulled upright. The London Eye, as it was called by this time, was ceremonially “opened” by Prime Minister Tony Blair on December 31, 1999, but did not admit its first paying passenger until March 9, 2000. Originally scheduled to be dismantled after five years, it was kept in place because of continued popularity. In 2006 a decorative LED lighting system was installed in order to make the wheel more prominent after dark. With both its supports on the same side of the hub, the wheel is said to be cantilevered over the river. The entirety of the structure is held in place by six backstay cables anchored to a second foundation. The wheel itself 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. The power to turn the wheel is transmitted to the rim through rubber tires that are mounted on the base of the structure. Mounted on the wheel are 32 ovoid “capsules,” as the cabins that carry the passengers are called. Their number corresponds to the 32 boroughs that (together with the City of London) constitute Greater London. Each capsule has a capacity of 25 passengers and rests on motorized mounts that function in such a way that the capsule remains upright as the wheel turns. The wheel moves so slowly—two revolutions per hour—that it need not stop for boarding or disembarkation of passengers, except for those with disabilities.
| 1 | Opened | : | 31 December 1999 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Capsules | : | 32 capsules | ||
| 3 | Location | : | Lambeth, London | ||
| 4 | Height | : | 135 metres (443 ft) | ||
| 5 | Cost | : | £70 million | ||
| 6 | Address | : | Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road |
The Louvre was originally built as a fortress in 1190, but was reconstructed in the 16th century to serve as a royal palace. "Like many buildings, it was built and rebuilt over the years," said Tea Gudek Snajdar, an Amsterdam-based art historian, museum docent and a blogger at Culture Tourist. During its time as a royal residence, the Louvre saw tremendous growth. Nearly every monarch expanded it
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