The British Airways London Eye or Millennium Wheel is the world's tallest observation/ Ferris wheel at 135m high. It is Located on the south bank of the Thames at the western end of Jubilee Gardens. It was designed by architects David Marks, Julia Barfield, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, Steven Chilton, and Nic Bailey. It was constructed in sections which were floated up the Thames on barges before being assembled. The 1,700 tonne strucutre was then raised into an upright position by cranes in two phases. It opened at 8pm on December 31st, 1999 as a landmark for the turn of the century, by Prime Minister Tony Blair. It opened to the public in March 2000 after technical difficulties had been resolved. It is one of London's most popular attractions. Tie rods support the rim of the Eye. There are 32 capsules on the outer rim each accommodating up to 25 people. It rotates at a rate of 0.26 metres per second with one revolution taking 30 minutes to complete. Picture taken 16th December 2006.