I’ve lived in London for three years without seeing this – how foolish I have been

Hello, and greetings from 135 metres above the River Thames. I’m standing alongside Julia Barfield, an architect whose vision changed London’s skyline in ways never thought possible.

From the top of the famed London Eye, I ask her what’s her favourite part of the view. She points to St Paul’s Cathedral to our right.

“I walked up to the top there with my daughter the other day and admired the view,” she says of Sir Christopher Wren’s English Baroque-style masterpiece.

“I think this is probably the only place that had been able to match that. Maybe even better because you can actually see St Paul’s.”

Now instantly recognisable, the structure was originally envisioned by Julia and her late husband David Marks in an entry to a 1993 competition in The Sunday Times that challenged people to come up with a landmark to celebrate the new Millennium.

Although no one won, the architect duo believed in their idea. After their planning application was revealed in positive media coverage, British Airways backed the project and made it a reality in March 2000 – a testament to what can be achieved with vision and determination.

British Olympic hero Mo Farah stands on top of a pod on the London Eye, with the Westminster clock tower in the background.Credit: PA

Twenty-five years later, it feels almost surreal that this structure, initially intended as temporary, has become as integral to London’s identity as Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.

The passing of time has solidified its status as a global icon, and it now also serves as a subtle reminder of a more confident, optimistic Britain – so different to the one talked down by political leaders today, when major projects are often bogged down by bureaucracy and delays.

This past week, one newspaper called it an “impossible dream” that couldn’t be built today.

It’s not the perfect viewing day for me. There’s a bit of cloud and haze about, but the view is breathtaking, nonetheless. When it’s clear, you can see about 40 kilometres from the top, as far as Windsor Castle, where a couple of years ago I was present for Queen Elizabeth II’s burial.

Fireworks light up the sky around the London Eye on the south bank of the River Thames.Credit: AP

I imagine what the view of the famous queue – which lined the River Thames for days as people waited to pay their respects – would have looked like from here. Then I gaze over to the Houses of Parliament and remember the moment I first saw them as a child. I can see Wembley Stadium and Lord’s Cricket Ground. And the parks where I’ve had picnics over the years.

When I think of the London Eye, I can’t help but imagine the city’s spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks shooting off from its bright, illuminated frame. It has become a symbol of the city’s vibrancy, showing up in films including Harry Potter and attracting nearly 3 million visitors a year. It’s on postcards, it’s in selfies, and has cemented itself in pop culture as a modern icon.

From first dates to “I do”, from Hollywood royalty to actual royalty, more than 85 million people have seen it all over the years from one of the 32 capsules – one for every London borough. It has done for London what the Eiffel Tower has done for Paris: providing a landmark that invites both locals and tourists to look down upon the city from above.

Despite a few sponsorship changes and a hefty £30 ($61) ticket price for a 30-minute ride, the Eye remains an accessible symbol of London. When it opened in 2000, you could take the ride for just £7.45.

The original sketch for The Sunday Times architecture competition from Marks Barfield Architects in 1993. Credit:

Now, as more and more cities race to build their own observation wheels, the London Eye remains the model of success. It has inspired the construction of 34 similar structures around the world, in cities including Singapore and Las Vegas – and even Melbourne with its ill-fated Melbourne Star.

These imitations have never quite matched the London Eye’s magic. Other British cities have attempted similar ventures with far less success. Take the Wheel of Manchester, which came and went in the early 2000s, outdone by the Eye’s distinct, unmatchable presence.

I have lived in London for three years and was a regular visitor before that, but had never bothered to hop on the London Eye until now. How foolish I have been. It is a magical experience.

“It was David who thought of the wheel, and I located it in the very centre of London,” Barfield says. “It’s a symbol of time, and a great way to get people up high efficiently – to offer the chance to see London from a new perspective and raise spirits.

“It just shows, if you have a dream you’ve got to just go ahead and do it – don’t wait to be asked. I only wish David were here to be part of it now.”

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