What does the London Eye do?

The London Eye is the most attractive tourist attraction in London. It is located on the Thames in London. It is the third largest ferris wheel in the world (second only to China Nanchang160m high "Nanchang Star" ferris wheel and Singapore Skyscraper Sightseeing Wheel opened on April15th, 2008). It is a landmark in London. The London Eye with a height of135m (443ft) was built to celebrate the year 2000. It was initially allowed to operate for five years. The London Eye Ferris Wheel with a total investment of US$ 65438+200 million has attracted about 3 million tourists from all over the world since it was built and opened in 2000, and the economic benefits of the London tourism market have increased by 65438. The local city Council then decided to keep the London Eye for a long time.

landmark

British Airways, which owns part of the London Eye, said: The local authorities in London approved it as a permanent landmark. This decision still needs to be approved by London Mayor Livingstone and the British government. Since its opening in March 2000, more than 8.5 million people have taken the "London Eye" to have a bird's eye view of London. The London Eye is also the most popular paid sightseeing spot in Britain. British Airways said that a building with 1500 tons can be used for at least 50 years. You can have a bird's eye view of London from the London Eye.

miracle

It is considered as a mathematical miracle; Engineers revealed that the computer computing power needed to build this Ferris wheel exceeded the largest and most complex building in the world. The London Eye, weighing 65,438+0,600 tons, was built on a platform floating on the river. It was originally scheduled to stand at attention in early September, which was a great contrast with the solemn Big Ben across the river.

In place, it will be opened to the public in June next year at 5438+ 10. Until now near the completion stage, the engineers in charge of construction confidently revealed that they had done millions more calculations than originally expected in the design and construction to ensure its safety. There are many obstacles in the construction of Ferris wheel, which makes critics call it "the wheel of misfortune". First of all, the height is reduced by 45 feet compared with the original schedule to reduce the construction time; Recently, various technical and safety problems have forced the installation work to be postponed. However, these problems are insignificant compared with the achievements in design and construction. It's hard to imagine that such a ferris wheel with the greatest technology and the highest difficulty in history was designed and built within 16 months. Thomson, the design manager, said: "Anything so huge will be affected by wind and temperature, not to mention it will rotate, so the problem of metal fatigue should also be taken into account." When these factors change with the length and width of the Ferris wheel, the most complicated architectural problems in history that you can't imagine appear. "

consider

The idea of "London Eye" can be traced back to a competition held by 1993 Times. The newspaper asked participants to come up with the most ambitious plans to celebrate the Millennium, and two architects took the lead in proposing to build the world's largest Ferris wheel. The plan inspired the imagination of Eileen, the chairman of British Airways, and decided to make it come true by funding. The London Eye was created by Mark and Buffett. The idea was first put forward by two architects in 1993. Originally, it was to participate in an open competition organized by The Times and the London Architectural Foundation to seek new architectural designs to celebrate the Millennium. Building a large-scale new building in London requires a public consultation process, which is not only time-consuming but also complicated. However, Mark and Buffed have gained a very firm understanding that the construction should be carried out immediately. For the designer of the Ferris wheel, apart from its size, the most wonderful thing is that this behemoth can stand firmly on the Thames. Two brackets extending from the land will bear most of the weight of the Ferris wheel, plus six giant steel cables to prevent it from collapsing; These brackets and steel cable piles will be driven into the ground 180 feet to ensure safety. Theoretically, such a building will be affected by some potentially destructive forces. For example, the Ferris wheel may be full of 800 tourists, but suddenly it encounters a strong wind. These variables should be included in the calculation and strengthened. In general static buildings, this scheme is extremely complicated, and the Ferris wheel will rotate repeatedly, and the calculation difficulty is really unheard of.

affect

London eye at night

"London Eye" is really a crazy urban initiative. A skyscraper turntable with a height of 450 feet (135 meters) has 32 cabins, all of which are air-conditioned and cannot open windows. Each carriage can carry about 25 people, and the turning speed is about 0.26 meters per second, that is, it takes 30 minutes for a circle. With an obvious casino atmosphere, I landed on the south bank and jokingly faced serious historical buildings. So many people don't like it, because they think that despite its huge cost, it still can't erase a cheap smell, which is too "unlike" London. However, many citizens cheered and thought it was "too fun" and couldn't wait to climb it and see their city from another angle. Of course, the more important fact is that it keeps turning around every day, attracting thousands of tourists, and now it ranks first among all tourist spots in London, earning astronomical income for London tourism. The first Ferris wheel in the world was designed by an American and placed at the Chicago World Expo in 1893. Since then, such a big turntable has swept the world. The London Eye was built to celebrate the new millennium. Now it has become the largest rotating building in the world, and the difficulty of assembly and hoisting can be imagined. It is said that all the components were transported to the Thames by barge, and a temporary platform was built on the river, and the wheel was put down for assembly. Before it was erected, it staggered on the Thames for a week, hanging the heart of the whole city. Now it is driven by two motors on the platform, and there are 60 closed cabins, each of which can accommodate more than 20 people. Solar cells are installed in the cockpit to provide power for ventilation, lighting and communication systems. In order to ensure the stability under strong wind, an external bracket with the length of 10 meter is connected to the shaft of the turntable and locked on the ground. In this way, people who enter the "London Eye" can reach the city center in a half-hour rotation, overlooking the magnificent scenery within 25 miles of Fiona Fang, and during this time, they can also hear explanations to introduce the main landmarks that enter the field of vision. The "London Eye" turns into a huge blue halo at night, which greatly adds the dreamy temperament of the Thames. The designer's idea is actually very simple: "Because it is designed to meet the activities of the new millennium, it should be able to represent the turn of the millennium and take people to places they have never been before, because people like to see the earth under their feet, whether from the mountains or from tall buildings. It's a pleasure to watch the earth unfold under their feet like brocade. " London Eye Huang Hui

This Millennium Ferris wheel will attract millions of tourists to London like a magnet, and let them cross the Westminster Bridge from Big Ben to the South Bank. The Millennium Wheel has 32 closed cockpits and 25 seats. It takes passengers "flying" through the capital center: during the 25-minute process, it gives relevant explanations and introduces the main landmarks in the field of vision to passengers. Some people suggest giving the Ferris wheel some symbolic meanings, such as "the rotation of life" and the cockpit "symbolizing every minute of time itself" and so on. The world's tallest Ferris wheel will give London tourism a shot in the arm.