By Francesca Halliwell and Will Russell
LONDON (Reuters) – Tourists wanting a bird’s eye view of Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace have put the London Eye in the ranks of the city’s most visited attractions since it was opened 25 years ago on Sunday.
The observation wheel, which offers visitors a 30-minute ride in a glass pod, was supposed to stand for five years before being dismantled, but its popularity led to it being made a permanent fixture on the River Thames last year.
On a clear day, tourists riding the wheel can spot Windsor Castle, the royal family’s 900 year-old home 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) away, while for Britons it has become synonymous with the city’s fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
The wheel was the idea of husband and wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield to celebrate the millennium. Its shape symbolises the cycle of life.
“A circle has no beginning and no end. It is symbolic of the passing of time,” Barfield told Reuters, adding that when it opened, it was one of the few options for a view of London from a height.
Since it started operating, the city’s skyline has been transformed by new skyscrapers that can be viewed from the wheel. All named after their shapes, The Gherkin opened in 2004, the Shard, London’s tallest building, followed in 2013 and the Cheesegrater in 2014.
About 3.5 million people pay from 29 pounds ($37.17) per ticket to ride the London Eye each year.
Its popularity has inspired dozens of copycat wheels in cities around the world, but at 135 metres (442.91 ft) tall, the London Eye remains the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel.
The architects’ plan was for the attraction to revitalise a part of London’s South Bank, and 1% of the attraction’s annual revenues are paid to help maintain the public area around.
($1 = 0.7802 pounds)
(Reporting by Francesca Halliwell and Will Russell, writing by Sarah Young; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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