135 Metres Above the South Bank
The London Eye rises 135 metres above the South Bank of the Thames, directly opposite the Houses of Parliament. To put that in perspective, it is taller than Big Ben's Elizabeth Tower, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and roughly the same height as a 45-storey building.
The measurement of 135 metres refers to the highest point a passenger capsule reaches during rotation. The wheel's diameter is 120 metres, and the hub sits on an A-frame support structure that raises the lowest point of the wheel above the riverside walkway and surrounding trees.
How the London Eye Compares to London Landmarks
The 135-metre height places the London Eye in an interesting position within London's skyline. It is significantly shorter than the city's tallest buildings, but its location on the open South Bank and the slow rotation give it a viewing advantage that static towers cannot match.
| Landmark | Height | Compared to London Eye |
|---|---|---|
| The Shard | 310 metres | 175m taller |
| One Canada Square (Canary Wharf) | 235 metres | 100m taller |
| BT Tower | 177 metres | 42m taller |
| London Eye | 135 metres | -- |
| Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) | 96 metres | 39m shorter |
| Nelson's Column | 52 metres | 83m shorter |
| Tower Bridge (towers) | 65 metres | 70m shorter |
| Buckingham Palace | 24 metres | 111m shorter |
Despite being shorter than The Shard's viewing platform at 244 metres, the London Eye offers a different perspective. The slow 30-minute rotation provides a continuously changing 360-degree panorama, whereas The Shard's viewing gallery faces fixed directions with the building's core blocking part of the view.
How It Compares to Other Observation Wheels
When the London Eye opened in 2000, its 135-metre height made it the tallest observation wheel ever built. It surpassed the previous record holder, a 100-metre temporary wheel erected in Osaka, Japan in 1997.
The London Eye held the world record for six years before the Star of Nanchang in China opened in 2006 at 160 metres. Our guide on whether the London Eye is still the biggest Ferris wheel in the world covers the full timeline of record holders. Since then, several larger wheels have been built around the world.
| Observation Wheel | Location | Height | Year Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ain Dubai | Dubai, UAE | 250 metres | 2021 |
| High Roller | Las Vegas, USA | 167.6 metres | 2014 |
| Star of Nanchang | Nanchang, China | 160 metres | 2006 |
| Singapore Flyer | Singapore | 165 metres | 2008 |
| London Eye | London, UK | 135 metres | 2000 |
The London Eye remains the tallest observation wheel in Europe and the tallest in the United Kingdom. No European city has built a larger wheel since it opened over 25 years ago.
The Engineering Behind the Height
Reaching 135 metres on the South Bank required significant engineering innovation. The wheel is supported by a single A-frame cantilever on the south side, anchored to the ground by cables on the north side. This asymmetric design was necessary because the Thames embankment could not support a conventional two-sided support structure.
Construction and Assembly
The wheel was assembled horizontally on pontoons in the Thames and then raised into its vertical position over several days in October 1999. This lifting operation was the largest of its kind ever attempted in Europe. The process involved strand jacks gradually pulling the 2,100-tonne structure from horizontal to vertical at a rate of roughly 2 degrees per hour.
Why Not Taller?
The height of 135 metres was partly determined by the engineering constraints of the South Bank site and partly by planning regulations. The designers, David Marks and Julia Barfield, initially proposed a taller wheel but settled on 135 metres to balance the views, the structural requirements and the visual impact on the surrounding area. At 135 metres, the wheel is prominent on the skyline without dominating the nearby Palace of Westminster, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
