9.5mil sounds astonishingly cheap tbh, I imagine it ended up being well over 10x that.
It’s funny how they expected it be consistently be getting moved from location to location
You know, I was born after the London Eye, and I genuinely can’t imagine London without it. To me it might as well be as iconic a part of the city as Big Ben.
I think it adds to London makes easy money and would be weird not seeing it about
I’m so happy they never removed the London Eye…
So what’s its actual engineering lifespan?
“Ready by 1998”
Yeah….
Seriously though, I was wondering recently as to how much longer it can survive. I mean, pods and the like can be changed regularly, but at some point the holding mechanism or wheel will start to wear out.
Would they build a new one I wonder?
I really want to hear from a Londoner who was an adult in the early 90s how the area felt before the London eye was constructed.
yes
I personally miss the post office tower
Yes, I have plenty of memories of London before it.
Most overrated London landmark and I say this as a born and bred Londoner
Honestly yes. IEven though I like it’s not the Eiffel Tower. It’s not even London Bridge. Or that gold statue at Buckingham palace.
When I moved to London in 2011 the eye wasn’t on Google Maps so I filed a report through the maps app to get it added. You’re welcome, tourists!
I’m always a bit torn on the eye tbh I think it’s a pretty crap sight in daylight, especially when it’s those dull grey days, but at the same time there’s far worse eyesores that have been put up since and I have to give credit where it’s due the eye makes a boatload of cash and is one of the less obstructive tourist spots going (I mean I can go walk along the Southbank no bother like vs Camden where it’s like being swept away at sea sometimes)
Did they promise to move it to the north of England for a bit, like HS2?
Move the London Eye?
Ha! Preposterous!
I was about to say “of course, I can. It wasn’t there for most of the time I’ve been in London.” But on checking my calculations, that turns out not to be true – I moved to London in 1981, so 19 years without it vs 25 years with it.
I was randomly walking down the Victoria Embankment, one weekend in 1999 and passed the Eye laying on a giant barge (probably several giant barges) next to County Hall. I wonder how long I would have needed to wait there in order to watch it being lifted into place.
It’s kind of surprising how well the wheel fits the area though
Amazing how many people objected to this… and now its basically a national treasure.
London Eye. The story behind its design and development – 1994 – 2000.
The Eiffel tower was meant to be temporary too
I remember walking to work through that area when they were building the Eye from pre-made sections in the Thames and then lifted it upright. Absolutely fascinating to observe
You mean the Merlin EDF Energy Coca-Cola Lastminute Trotsky Assortment London Eye?
I want to be elevated off the ground in a structure that’s 24 years passed its expiration date
Both the o2 and eye were supposed to be temporary but considering the amount of infrastructure required for both, I very much believe they intended them to stay. The temporary part was probably to appease the people that thought millennium projects were a waste of space and money.
Yes I still think it’s a stupid gimmick 25 years later.
I don’t like it.
I’m rather surprised it was allowed to be built at all, it feels like a similar project now would be locked up in 25 years of NIMBY protests and environmental reviews.
32 comments
Cost 9 and a half million pounds!!
How much did it end up costing in the end?
Yes.
9.5mil sounds astonishingly cheap tbh, I imagine it ended up being well over 10x that.
It’s funny how they expected it be consistently be getting moved from location to location
You know, I was born after the London Eye, and I genuinely can’t imagine London without it. To me it might as well be as iconic a part of the city as Big Ben.
I think it adds to London makes easy money and would be weird not seeing it about
I’m so happy they never removed the London Eye…
So what’s its actual engineering lifespan?
“Ready by 1998”
Yeah….
Seriously though, I was wondering recently as to how much longer it can survive. I mean, pods and the like can be changed regularly, but at some point the holding mechanism or wheel will start to wear out.
Would they build a new one I wonder?
I really want to hear from a Londoner who was an adult in the early 90s how the area felt before the London eye was constructed.
yes
I personally miss the post office tower
Yes, I have plenty of memories of London before it.
Most overrated London landmark and I say this as a born and bred Londoner
Honestly yes. IEven though I like it’s not the Eiffel Tower. It’s not even London Bridge. Or that gold statue at Buckingham palace.
When I moved to London in 2011 the eye wasn’t on Google Maps so I filed a report through the maps app to get it added. You’re welcome, tourists!
I’m always a bit torn on the eye tbh I think it’s a pretty crap sight in daylight, especially when it’s those dull grey days, but at the same time there’s far worse eyesores that have been put up since and I have to give credit where it’s due the eye makes a boatload of cash and is one of the less obstructive tourist spots going (I mean I can go walk along the Southbank no bother like vs Camden where it’s like being swept away at sea sometimes)
Did they promise to move it to the north of England for a bit, like HS2?
Move the London Eye?
Ha! Preposterous!
I was about to say “of course, I can. It wasn’t there for most of the time I’ve been in London.” But on checking my calculations, that turns out not to be true – I moved to London in 1981, so 19 years without it vs 25 years with it.
I was randomly walking down the Victoria Embankment, one weekend in 1999 and passed the Eye laying on a giant barge (probably several giant barges) next to County Hall. I wonder how long I would have needed to wait there in order to watch it being lifted into place.
It’s kind of surprising how well the wheel fits the area though
Amazing how many people objected to this… and now its basically a national treasure.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUkLy-7M8f8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUkLy-7M8f8)
London Eye. The story behind its design and development – 1994 – 2000.
The Eiffel tower was meant to be temporary too
I remember walking to work through that area when they were building the Eye from pre-made sections in the Thames and then lifted it upright. Absolutely fascinating to observe
You mean the Merlin EDF Energy Coca-Cola Lastminute Trotsky Assortment London Eye?
Yes I can https://youtu.be/RhfoAztWOiY?si=Rq339O7CBT7mPmxf
I want to be elevated off the ground in a structure that’s 24 years passed its expiration date
Both the o2 and eye were supposed to be temporary but considering the amount of infrastructure required for both, I very much believe they intended them to stay. The temporary part was probably to appease the people that thought millennium projects were a waste of space and money.
Yes I still think it’s a stupid gimmick 25 years later.
I don’t like it.
I’m rather surprised it was allowed to be built at all, it feels like a similar project now would be locked up in 25 years of NIMBY protests and environmental reviews.
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