Holiday Villa London

London Eye - the world’s largest observation wheel

It was on their kitchen table in South London in 1993 that the first drawings of the London Eye were made. The creators in question are husband and wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield. The couple had entered a competition to design a millennium landmark. No one won, and the competition was scrapped, but the couple were convinced that their dream should be pursued. As Julia Barfield says: 'From the beginning we wanted to create something uplifting - something that would delight...'.
David and Julia began to piece the project together, soon attracting the attention of the London press. Then British Airways showed an interest and became a partner. 'As the project developed,' says David Marks, 'everyone was inspired with one objective - to create an exciting new way to see and understand one of the greatest cities on earth.'

A design, construction and logistics challenge

Soon, everyone realised the sheer scale of what they were attempting. It would be the largest observation wheel ever built and the only cantilevered structure of its kind in the world. It would also be the largest structure ever hoisted into a vertical position in one operation. Over 1,700 people in five countries would be involved in building it. The population of an entire alpine village would test the embarkation procedures. Almost every component and construction technique would have to be invented from scratch. Glass for the capsules would have to be double-curved and laminated. And transportation of the components would take on a scale reminiscent of pyramid building: delivery would have to be timed to co-ordinate with tides in the River Thames, so that large parts could be safely negotiated under London's bridges. Clearance under Southwark Bridge would be as little as 40 centimetres. One of the world's tallest floating cranes would be needed to lift the massive quarter sections of the rim onto eight temporary platforms floating on the river. Each of the 32 passenger capsules would have to be designed to be just within the maximum width allowed on the French roads over which they would make their way to the English Channel and up the Thames. And it would all happen in just 16 months....

The way to see London

Today, the British Airways London Eye has become, quite literally, the way the world sees London. It is one of the most spectacular and popular attractions in the world.. Its success is unquestionable, as is its popularity with tourists and Londoners alike. Yet it was conceived, designed and built against considerable odds. Of all the remarkable facts about the London Eye, perhaps the most astonishing is that it was ever built at all.

The world’s largest observation wheel is 135 metres high. It provides a 30-minute, slow-moving 'flight' over London. Designed to reflect the elements of air, water, earth and time - the central theme is a circle of white light from within the rim which sweeps the skyline at 135 metres. The passenger capsules signifying 'time', is lit internally at the point of embarcation. Each high-tech capsule accommodating up to 25 people. The attraction has the capacity to handle 1,500 visitors every hour. The British Airways London Eye is a privately funded venture between British Airways, the Tussauds Group and London architects David Marks and Julia Barfield.