Ferris wheel is one of the best attractions that mankind came up with. Firstly, it’s safe and not scary. Secondly, insanely beautiful. Even a nondescript city, from a bird's eye view, suddenly becomes unusually attractive, spacious and slightly mysterious, the chest is filled with air, and the mood is noticeably improved.
It turns out that the prototypes of modern ferris wheels appeared more than three hundred years ago in Turkey. These attractions were driven by human muscles. But the first ferris wheel driven by the machine was invented by George Ferris for the World Exhibition, held in Chicago in 1893. So the Americans answered the inventors of the Eiffel Tower - the French. True, although the answer was difficult (about 2000 tons), it was not so high - four times less than the Paris miracle designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Since in the Soviet Union ferris wheels were in the parks of almost any large city, most of our compatriots managed to ride a slow ride more than once. But to try the highest ferris wheel in the world - these are completely different sensations that a resident of the planet of any age can hardly refuse.
The question arises: “Where is it located?” As is the case with any record holder, you can get several answers to this question. It all depends on the evaluation criteria.
It is believed that the highest ferris wheel in the world is located in the city-state of the Republic of Singapore. It is called the Singapore Flyer ("Singapore Bird") and rises 165 meters above the ground. From the highest point of the wheel, you can survey the surroundings on the territory of 45 kilometers and even see the islands of neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia. This ferris wheel was built in 2008. At first it rotated clockwise, but then, on the advice of Feng Shui experts, it was turned back. 28 cabs are attached to the wheel, each of which can accommodate 28 people.
In the technology world, things are changing very fast. So, from 2000 to 2006, the honorary title “the highest ferris wheel in the world” belonged to the famous “London Eye” (Energy London Eye), then it was replaced by the Chinese giant “Star of Nanchang”, which held the palm even less - two years. These attractions were 135 and 160 meters in height, respectively.
But all these damn wheels are built on the technology of the XXI century. Experts call them observation wheel - "observation wheel". Their cabins are not inside, but outside the rim, and more like capsules. They are not held vertically by gravity, but can rotate independently thanks to a complex system of electric motors. As for the Chinese attraction, it is, apparently, some kind of transitional option between the traditional attraction and the modern "observation wheel".
Therefore, the highest ferris wheel in the world of the classical type is “Sky Dream” in the Japanese city of Fukuoka. For a number of reasons, it has not been working since 2009 and is partially dismantled.
But today, the world has announced a number of projects to create higher ferris wheels. True, most of these projects have reached an impasse, and construction has stopped before it has begun.
However, a 167-meter wheel is being built in Las Vegas, a 190-meter construction project has been approved in New York overlooking the Statue of Liberty. It is planned that the 210-meter giant will be another decoration of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. This project is likely to come true, because the city has already built the highest skyscraper, the largest shopping center and the tallest hotel on the planet.
But there is hope that the question: "Where is the highest ferris wheel?" soon it will be possible to answer: "In Moscow!" The fact is that a project has been developed for the construction in the Russian capital of a 220-meter attraction with a 275-meter spire. For a long time, the city authorities could not decide on the place. In the spring of 2013, it was announced that the giant would receive a residence permit near the Natalya Sats Musical Theater and the circus on Vernadsky Avenue. However, many believe that the place was chosen poorly: you need to build in the center so that you have a magnificent view, say, of the Kremlin and Red Square.
Not only Moscow could be proud of such an attraction. The highest ferris wheel in the capital today is located on the territory of VDNH. It was built on the anniversary of the city 16 years ago and is 73 meters high, which is even slightly less than the first Ferris wheel.