Eye At The Top - Travel Article

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By:Anil Gupta

The British Airways London Eye, the capital’s fourth tallest building, after the Canary Wharf, NatWest and BT Towers, offers unsurpassed views of the city. Cantilevered out over the Thames, the capital’s stunning new landmark is the largest observation wheel in the world. The structure was built by British Airways to celebrate the millennium.

The Eye stands a whopping 135 meters high on the South Bank between Waterloo and Westminster Bridges, right opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and provides stunning views over central London and beyond. Visitors are treated to a gently paced half-hour ride in space age capsules holding 25 people each, hopping on and off as the wheel moves. An increasingly popular idea is to visit the Eye at night time when the view is perhaps at its most magical.

People of all ages from around the country make special journeys to see this new and exciting giant Wheel and to participate in the excitement of being transported high above London. Visitors to London from abroad, are delighted by this new and novel way of seeing the city from a birds eye view. As the London Eye is set in motion, one can feel a keen sense of anticipation. The higher it soars, the more celebratory the experience becomes, as one enjoys the breathtaking views from the heart of the city.

When one flies on the London Eye, well-known landmarks and buildings of central London are spread out in a great panorama to be seen, it is amusing to see how many one can identify. The major landmarks are - The Imperial War Museum, The Globe Theatre, The Oval Cricket Ground, The Tate Gallery, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, The Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral, The National Portrait Gallery, Buckingham Palace, The British Museum, The Telecommunications Tower.

The architects of the London Eye are husband and wife team, Julia Barfield and David Marks, winners of the competition for ideas to mark the Millennium; their design was considered to be the most imaginative project conceived. David and Julia wanted to present not just a monument, but something celebratory, that people could participate in and enjoy. David researched and developed the idea for a giant observation wheel and Julia found the ideal site by drawing a circle round London and finding the, Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank.

Three years of work went into the London Eye project, planning permission had to be granted, feasibility studies undertaken, financial consultations and all the groundwork needed to get the giant Wheel designed and built. On busy summer days around 15,000 visitors take a ‘flight’. If it’s clear one can see 25 miles in each direction from the top of its 140 meter arc. Many Londoners have become regular users, reveling in this unique perspective of their city. Weddings, business meetings, birthdays and family outings are frequently played out in the pods. For tourists it is an essential port of call. Relaxing, fascinating and inspiring, the Eye has become a definitive part of the London experience.

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Anil Gupta recommends that you visit www.bookings.it/city/gb/london.html?aid=305255 for more information on london hotels.