London Eye

The London Eye was a big hit with everyone--so much so that many students picked this event to write about for their Tourist With a Purpose forum submission.  Here are a few of the responses:

Luke’s Reflection

While there seems to be mixed reviews on the London Eye and how it fits in to the city’s culture, there is one thing that is undeniable; it is an engineering marvel.  Even though the figure is dynamic in nature in the fact that it is a giant ferris wheel, from a statics perspective the design of the structure is very interesting. First off, the design is compact and takes up very little space.  The two giant steel legs of the wheel are being pulled into compression by a series of tension cables stretching above the legs away from the structure.  These two dimensions of the structure almost make the wheel a giant cantilever.  The support of the structure is helped a little as the frame of the wheel rests on some huge rotating wheels that bring the feat to life. 

While taking the ride on the Eye we saw some of the best views of the city.  As I mentioned earlier this structure is considered to be an “Eye” sore by some.  I think one of the best things about London is it has a balance of its rich history and a new age contemporary feel.  I could understand if I lived in London how maybe I wouldn’t see the eye as one of the best additions to the city.  But, I do think that it adds a unique touch and gives this place a feel of somewhere that’s not just stuck in the past.

Thomas’ Reflection

It is the most iconic structure of modern London. It is featured, and oddly enough often destroyed, in most movies set in London. And it is a giant Ferris wheel. Stabbing in line waiting to get on, we were entertained by a pair of stilted men doing flips. When we actually stepped into the capsule all antics were forgotten. It rose smoothly and never even paused as we got on. The cityscape spread out around me. Within the capsule there were small tablets that had an interactive picture of the skyline in which you could find out names and pictures of what you were actually seeing. The capsule was a football shaped pod made of glass that rotated with the wheel maintaining a flat ground upon which we stood. The Eye itself was cantilevered out over the Thames so looking down gave a true uninhibited view of the height we had achieved. The whole ride lasted around half of an hour, so it gave you ample time to enjoy the view from above. The Eye is operated by London’s largest low carbon energy producer. Winner of multiple awards, it was in true style during last year’s 2012 Olympics. During this it was often lit up in commemoration of team Great Britain. It was even lit up recently to celebrate the birth of the royal son, George Alexander Louis. Though it was meant to be temporary, it has recently been renovated and the lease extended for another 10 years. It has become as integrated with London as the tower that houses Big Ben, and will continue to spin for years to come. 

Robert’s Reflection

Last week we went to the London Eye as a group. It was a clear day and we had a great view while on the ride. Something that I did not realize about the London Eye is that it rarely stops. At first I thought that the London Eye would be just like a Ferris wheel and stop periodically, so that you would be able to sit at the top for a while. However, when the capsule comes around and approaches the deck the doors simply open and people exit and then enter the capsule. The only time that the London Eye stopped was when they had to help someone who was handicapped or something into the capsule. There were a total of 32 capsules on the London Eye and when at the top you were 135 meters off of the ground. The view from the top of the structure can span about 25 miles all the way to Windsor Castle. The whole trip around the London Eye took about 30 minutes so it is pretty impressive that they are able to keep it spinning at that constant speed for it whole hours of operation. The wait was not too bad but it is noteworthy because you have to wait in the line to get a ticket, wait in the line to get into the line to board, and then wait in the line to board. Therefor I would plan out exactly when you are going to go and reserve your tickets early. We had our ride during the afternoon but I would also look into getting on a ride at night because I could see that ride being even better with all of the lights of the city. 

Adam’s Reflection

Upon arrival to London a small group of my classmates and I made a trip to Westminster. Right after we got out of the tube station the Eye was one of two very noticeable structures, the other structure I knew was Big Ben.

We eventually made it closer to this structure and the group said that a trip inside of the Eye was included in the cost of our program. Approximately one week later the day had came, we got our tickets and the wait was luckily only 30 minutes. It could have been a lot worst that is for sure. The eye is constantly moving which it’s hard to realize because it’s moving so slow the entire time. It makes one complete revolution in approximately 45 minutes. We entered our pill like shaped room and we were off. The Big Ben is one of the most noticeable structures in all of London, next to the London Bridge, which is kind of already known but it was even more evident once we started getting higher and higher. London as a whole compared to Los Angeles, California in my mind because from the top of the eye you still couldn’t see where the city ended. I think this experience overall was great because it gave me a perspective on how large London actually is. It made you feel kind of small in contrast to the entire city but that is realistic.

Alex’s Reflection

The London Eye is a cultural icon of London. Standing at 135 meters high, the Eye is one of the most popular tourist attractions in England, with 3.5 million people riding every year, according to the website for EDF. EDF Energy is the company that owns and operates the London eye, and has since it was built in 2000. The project took seven years to complete. 

Like the construction companies we visited as part of our program, this was likely an effort that required a lot of communication between architects, engineers, and contractors. It probably involved interdisciplinary engineering discussions, because the structure moves, is powered by electricity, and must stand without falling over. With each capsule weighing in at 10 tons, a lot of work would be required to make sure the structure is stable.

In my experience, the London Eye was entertaining, as I could see most of the city from up in the capsule. Seeing all the people milling about and going about their lives made me realize that London is not that different from any American city I’ve seen so far.

In the end, going on the London Eye was worth it, and enjoyable. I got to see a fantastic and beautiful view of London. The architecture here is still interesting, and I enjoy taking in the sights of the city.