Until yesterday!
Now, all eyes are set on the new Singapore icon.
8 years after the London Eye was launched on the bank of River Thames, we kiasu Singaporeans now have a giant ferris wheel we can call our own!
At 165m (~42 storeys high), the Singapore Flyer now officially takes over the London Eye to be the tallest observation wheel in the world. Talk about taking tourism to new heights! Yay!
For the past 2 years or so, since the ground-breaking ceremony in 2005, there has been much buzz around around the building of this uniquely Singaporean icon.
Well, when you think about it - not so unique after all, considering that there are a dime a dozen similar tourist attractions around the world.
In fact, do you know our neighbour up north has "beaten" us to it!
Called "Eye on Malaysia", it was unveiled at KL one year ago at the launch of "Visit Malaysia Year 2007".
According to sources online, the "last-minute" news to install the ferris wheel was announced barely one month prior to the launch. A contractor was even quoted as saying that the soil testing was done only in mid-Dec (2 weeks to launch)!!
Well, admittedly, the tourism folks at both ends have been working overtime. If you ask me, I won't be too surprised if our friendly neighbour caught winds of our plan for the Flyer and decided to steal our thunder! OK, petty thoughts, I know, haha.
Anyway, unlike ours, their 60m structure was reported to be "temporary", and reports have said discussions were ongoing as to whether the structure would remain a permanent fixture.
As you can see, each country is not only clamouring to add one such structure to its own skyline but also attempting to outdo the others in terms of height record.
Even as we speak, Beijing is planning a "Great Beijing Wheel" targeted for a 2009 opening. And yes, once completed at 208m, it will be taller than the Singapore Flyer.
The press has been abuzz about how this Singapore beauty has already received advance bookings for 1.5 million tickets for the first few months, way before it even started spinning. Really so good meh? $30 for a 30-minute ride, so that's $1 per minute. Hmm..
Anyway, just out of curiosity, I have compiled my own comparison here for the 3 observation wheels.
LONDON EYE
Launch: 2000 March
Height: 135m
Capacity: 32 capsules x 25 pax = 800
Duration of Ride (one cycle): 30 minutes
Price: £15
City View on a clear day: 40km
Set up cost: £75 million
SINGAPORE FLYER
Launch: 2008 Feb
Height: 165m
Capacity: 28 capsules x 28 pax = 784
Duration of Ride (one cycle): 30 minutes
Price: S$29.50
City View on a clear day: 45km
Set up cost: S$240 million
EYE ON MALAYSIA
Launch: 2007 Jan
Height: 60m
Capacity: 42 capsules x 8 pax = 336
Duration of Ride (one cycle): 12 minutes
Price: RM 15
City View on a clear day: 20km
Set up cost: RM 30 million
Here's a little additional trivia info:
The Singapore Flyer is designed by renowned Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, who has passed on October 12, 2007 at age 73. In Singapore, he designed Fusionpolis, Republic Plaza, and the Singapore Flyer. His other works include Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, and Melbourne Central, the shopping and entertainment hub behind the train station in Australia.
The London Eye was conceived and designed by a 2-person team who submitted their entry for a competition organized by the national newspaper to welcome the new millennium in London. Ironically, all entries were rejected and the competition eventually withdrawn. However, the husband-and-wife team believed they have something going for them, and decided to pursue their idea on their own, and the rest as they say is history.
Who would have imagined a simple idea of "reinventing" the wheel would be so loved and copied the world over!
3 Photos (above): Sky Dream Fukuoka ferris wheels at dusk, overlooking the Fukuoka Harbour and the Evergreen Marinoa shopping mall at Kyushu, Japan. Pictures taken 2006.
