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The London eye consisting of over 1400 pieces.
Here are some facts about the eye.
What?
- 135 metres (443 feet) high
- 32 capsules each carrying up to 25 passengers, making a capacity of 800 people.
- 1700 tonnes of steel makes up the Eye.
- The wheel moves at half a mile an hour, taking thirty minutes to complete a full rotation.
When?
- The London Eye was officially opened on 31 December 1999 by then Prime Minister Tony Blair. - Due to teething problems, paying passengers weren't able to take a flight until March 2000.
Where? - The London Eye sits on the south bank of the River Thames in Jubilee Gardens, a few minutes from Waterloo station.
Why?
- To celebrate the turning of the new millennium in 2000. It was one of a number of projects to commemorate the coming of the third millennium, including the ill-fated Millennium Dome (now the O2), Greenwich.
How?
- Sections of the London Eye were floated down the River Thames on pontoons. They were then carefully raised by a series of very slow cranes.
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