Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Secret London history lesson. Grab a cuppa and make yourselves comfy, folks. Because today’s topic of discussion is the marmite of London landmarks. It’s the London Eye, of course.
Some Londoners love it; some – well… don’t. But nobody can deny that the London Eye has become an iconic part of the city’s skyline. But how did it all come to be? Well, sit back, relax, and let me tell you.
The history of the London Eye
Dynamic architectural duo, David Marks and Julia Barfield came up with the idea of building a big wheel to mark the millennium in London. They wanted to create a structure that would celebrate London’s innovation and creativity, and the wheel symbolised time and change – very fitting for the start of a new millennium. After seven years hard work (and help from hundreds of people); the London Eye opened to the public on the banks of the River Thames on March 9, 2000.
It was originally meant to be a temporary construction, and only had planning permission for five years. And, I know what you’re thinking – but, it’s been almost 25 years? Yes, indeed it has. And that’s because soon after opening, the London Eye became wildly popular and it’s lease was repeatedly extended until finally, it was made a permanent fixture. It is now the UK’s most popular paid-for attraction, with millions of tourists and locals boarding the wheel each year. So simple, yet so effective.
The design of the London Eye is similar to that of a bicycle wheel with a hub and spokes – just 200 times larger. In fact, the 80 spokes of the eye laid down together would stretch 6km (AKA the distance between Trafalgar Square and Canary Wharf). The London Eye weighs 2,100 tonnes, which is the weight of around 1271 black cabs. Blimey.
Why does the London Eye have 32 pods?
Okay, let’s get down to business. As you’ve probably gathered by this point – the London Eye has 32 capsules. This is to represent the 32 boroughs of London. All 32 capsules were fixed on to the wheel in an impressive eight days. Particularly eagle-eyed Londoners might have noticed that the pods are numbered from 1 to 33. How can this be when there are only 32 pods? Well, for superstitious reasons, they decided not to have a number 13.
Each capsule weighs 11 tonnes and can carry 28 people. In total, the London Eye can carry 800 guests per rotation and each rotation takes around 30 minutes.
But wait, why does London have 32 boroughs?
Well, that’s a looong story. But luckily for you lovely lot – we have an entire article answering this exact question. You’re most welcome.