The London Eye: Overview

Observation structures are common tourist attractions in big cities around the world.

Opened in 2000, the London Eye is located on the south bank of the River Thames. Originally called The Millennium Wheel, architects created the London Eye to celebrate the dawn of the year 2000. Why a Ferris wheel? The turning of the wheel was meant to represent the turning of the century.

The London Eye is the brainchild of David Marks and Julia Barfield, of Marks Barfield, a husband and wife architecture team. A 1993 competition organized by London's Sunday Times called for monument ideas to mark the upcoming Millennium celebration. Marks Barfield's concept of a city-centered, ever-turning wheel offering a unique bird's-eye view is now the No. 1 paid-for tourist attraction in London.

The London Eye stands 442 feet (135 meters) tall -- which means it's taller than a football field is long. It has a circumference of 1391 feet (424 meters) and sits on the bank of the River Thames, near Jubilee Gardens.