What avid travelers we would not consider ourselves to be, there are still places that every time with frantic force will attract us. It can be a city, a village, a corner of nature or, say, an attraction. Yes, yes, it turns out it happens. Do not believe? In vain ... For example, the London Eye. This attraction can rightly be attributed to the most famous modern technical facilities in the world.
This article will focus not only on the Ferris wheel itself, the reader will get acquainted with the meaning of the phrase “London Eye” in English, learn about the history of construction, and also receive some practical advice on how to purchase tickets.
General description of the object
Literally, the name of the attraction can be translated into Russian as the “London Eye”. This is actually one of the most incredible sights of London, which is now no less famous than Big Ben or Tower Bridge. It was built in honor of the celebration of the new millennium. And now, few people know about what was originally planned to leave the London Eye for a maximum of five years, after which it should have been removed.
But the business has taken a new turn, and the Eye, in the end, has become an integral part of the beautiful capital of Misty Albion. Today, this building can often be seen in various films, for example, it played a key role in the film "Doctor Who," while serving not only as a decoration.
Construction history
This work of art was invented by David Macrs and his wife Julia Barfield. Alas, the project did not win in the competition "Building for the new millennium." Undoubtedly, they expected that someone would order it all the same, but eventually decided to build it on their own, that is, to their own savings.
Financial support was provided by neighbor Bob Eling. With permission for the London Eye, architects began construction. But under the contract, as already noted above, the Eye was supposed to stand for only five years, and in 2005 it had to be removed without fail.
It is known that parts of the Ferris wheel were transported along the river to the very place of construction on special barges. Are all segments of the structure connected in a “lying” position on the platforms? located on the water. After completion, it was raised to its place, but according to a special technology, it was raised only two degrees per hour.
The construction of the London Eye is very heavy, metal materials in total weight of about 1700 tons.
Design and construction
The London Eye is a ferris wheel located in a very good location in the city center on the banks of the River Thames. There are only 32 booths for passengers on it, each booth-capsule weighs a little more than 10 tons, has a round shape in the shape of an egg. Such an amount is far from accidental; it represents the suburbs of London.
The rounded rooms are air-conditioned and can accommodate about 25 people. A full revolution of the wheel takes about 30 minutes, it almost never stops, because thanks to the low speed people can enter the cabs without difficulty. The wheel can only be stopped for the elderly to protect them when entering or exiting the capsule. Externally, the structure looks like a wheel from a bicycle, as it is also supported by spokes.
In 2006, they decided to replace all the lighting with LED, which could be controlled by special devices.
We buy tickets without problems
Seeing the sign with the sign “The London Eye”, you can safely go to the side of the attraction and, having found the ticket office, take the queue. Tickets can be purchased both locally and through the official website. Note that in cyberspace they cost a little less. But there are also disadvantages when buying online: through the website you order a ticket for a specific date and time, and who knows what the weather will be like, because it changes in London at any time.
Especially for this, we came up with a service that allows you to buy a ticket on a specific day, but at any time, or you can even purchase it on a specific day. But this service costs a little more. An adult ticket today costs a little more than 19 British pounds, and a child ticket costs about 12.
If you wish, you can also join the guide for a fee. You can also remove the London Eye capsule for a separate company, for lovers or even for various banquets (the cost is more than 4000 pounds per hour).