The Coca-Cola London Eye, the Millennium Wheel, or simply just

the London Eye, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of

the River Thames in London. It is London's major tourist attraction. It is a huge
wheel designed to celebrate the Millenium year 2000.
The London Eye is 135m (approximately 443 feet) high, making it the fourth
highest building in London, after BT Tower, Tower 42 and One Canada Square.
The Eye measures 424m (1.392ft) in circumference.

Ownership and branding

The Eye was sponsored by British Airways, and for several years after opening it
was referred to as the British Airways Millenium Wheel. Then the London Eye
was under the ownership of the London Eye Company, a subsidiary of Merlin
Entertainments Group Company.
In September 2014, Coca-Cola signed an agreement to sponsor the London Eye
for two years, starting from January 2015. On the day of the announcement, the
London Eye was lit in red.
 On 14th November 2019 it was announced that lastminute.com would be the
sponsor starting in February 2020, replacing Coca-Cola. The wheel will be lit in
their corporate colours.

Design and construction

The Eye was built between 1998 and 2000. It was

intended to stand for only a few years, but it proved to
be such a popular attraction that the decision was made
to make the wheel a permanent feature of the London
landscape.
The Eye was designed by the husband and wife team
of David Marks and Julia Barfield. The Eye was created
as a symbol for the end of the 20th century.

Opening

The London Eye was formally opened by the Prime

Minister Tony Blair on 31 December 1999, but did not open to the paying public
until 9 March 2000 because of a capsule clutch problem.Since that time it has
become the most popular visitor (paid) attraction in the UK. Over 3.5 million
visitors enjoy the London Eye every year, and on a clear day, those visitors can see
as far as 25 miles, or all the way to Windsor Castle. 

Passenger capsules

There are 32 capsules attached to the wheel, one for each of the 32 boroughs of
the city of London.
 The capsules are numbered from 1 to 33, excluding number 13 for superstitious
reasons. Each capsule holds up to 25 people,who are free to walk around inside the
capsule, though seating is provided. In total, up to 800 passengers can travel in the
Eye at any one time.
Each capsule has its own heating and cooling system. Each capsule weighs 10
tonnes.The wheel and capsules combined weigh at a total of 2,100 tonnes. Each
capsule is formed of glass panels on a steel frame, allowing maximum visibility,
and is regulated by a mechanism that keeps it perfectly level at all time.
Each rotation of the wheel takes about 30 minutes, this means that you get plenty
of time to enjoy the view.
The Eye has done for London what the Eiffel Tower did for Paris, which is to
give it a symbol and to let people climb above the city and look back down on it.
Not just specialists or rich people, but everybody. That's the beauty of it: it is
public and accessible, and it is in a great position at the heart of London.