London Eye

The London Eye is a 135-metre observation wheel on the South Bank of the Thames opposite the Palace of Westminster, opened for the millennium as a temporary attraction and now a fixed part of the London skyline. Designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield, it is a cantilevered wheel supported on one side so as not to obstruct the view of Westminster. When it opened it was the world's tallest observation wheel, since overtaken by wheels in Singapore, Las Vegas, Dubai and Beijing. A rotation in one of the 32 sealed glass capsules takes about 30 minutes, and on clear days the view reaches as far as Windsor Castle. On New Year's Eve the wheel becomes the stage for London's fireworks.