Singapore's new ferris wheel is taller than London's, and they have a much higher skyline too. Why the heck do they need a wheel, and why copy off London's design. I mean, they are getting a massive new skyline.. And then, Dubai is getting a wheel too.. Ugh, they should have copyrighted the wheel.

Are you joking? We'd have billionaire cavemen...

Shanghai's doing the same thing, apparently.

Shows a lack of creativity. But then, Shanghai seems to be one tacky copying-job after another...

In a place with loadsa skyscrapers and willing to experiment, Id build a skytrain; like a monorail but really high up round the skyscrapers- trying to bring Sci-Fi films (where they fly around streets) to life.

Yeah, the London Eye was the first ferris wheel in the world. In fact Marks Barfield invented the wheel for this purpose.

:nuts:

It doesn't matter. Regardless of height, the London Eye will remain more famous, and more popular.

I couldn't care less what Singapore do.

Yeah, the London Eye was the first ferris wheel in the world. In fact Marks Barfield invented the wheel for this purpose.

:nuts:

We English invented the circle, the square and the triangle! :horse:

We English invented the circle, the square and the triangle! :horse:

And gravity. We invented that too.

And air!

And air!

No. Nike did that.

^^ :lol:

I have to admit, the Dubai wheel proposals are very impressive. It has the bigger WOW factor than the London Eye did. It is taller and sleeker too.

I'm not saying the LE is crap, I loved it, its just not as good as Dubai's proposal which we still have to see if it will ever get built.

yeah but when the Loondon eye was first built it was unique. not like any other ferris wheel in the world! now they are just copying it a bit like the Eiffel Tower. btw kool vid:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1mEdOxw_uCw

Unique? Basically the only difference between that and every other wheel in the world is that it had closed pods that were on the outside of the frame.

well when the eiffel tower was built look how many copies of that were created.. including a much larger one in london that collapsed when it was just a third of the way built. same can be said for the modern concrete observation towers anybody have a clue who started that trend.. ??

Unique? Basically the only difference between that and every other wheel in the world is that it had closed pods that were on the outside of the frame.

ha, Im sorry but you miss out the complete technological and engineering difference between the London Eye and every other wheel! the supporting structure is not found in the wheels spokes but instead the entire wheel merely sits on a supporting base (which also rotates it) and is kept upright using tension cables.

This is how it can look so beauitful and impossible, cause when you look at it the spokes are almost invisible strands so the wheel appears to hover around the central spindle.

well when the eiffel tower was built look how many copies of that were created.. including a much larger one in london that collapsed when it was just a third of the way built. same can be said for the modern concrete observation towers anybody have a clue who started that trend.. ??

eh it didnt collapse, the guy who wanted to build it ran out of money! I agree that structures will always and have always been copied but to suggest that the London Eye isnt a unique creation is crazy, and anyone creating something that uses its innovation will have been inspired by the first one built in London.

eh it didnt collapse, the guy who wanted to build it ran out of money! I agree that structures will always and have always been copied but to suggest that the London Eye isnt a unique creation is crazy, and anyone creating something that uses its innovation will have been inspired by the first one built in London.

It was sinking into the ground due to the number of feet it sat on being reduced to cut costs. That was why it was demolished.

Unique? Basically the only difference between that and every other wheel in the world is that it had closed pods that were on the outside of the frame.

remind me why u are on an architecture forum again?

Vienna's Riesenrad, the giant observation wheel was built in 1897, 102 years before London Eye. ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riesenrad

^ Vienna's wheel was built by an Englishman, Walter Basset, who had already built a similar large ferris wheel in London (later destroyed). Even the relatively recent and large wheels in Japan also belong to a previous generation of ferris wheels. The London Eye was the first of a new generation of observation wheels and Singapore is obviously copying that. I don't mind though. Cities copy one another all the time and immitation is the highest form of flattery after all... ;)