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Eye in the Sky

A huge Ferris wheel called the Twin Eye is being planned for the city of Seoul, South Korea.
A large stationary Ferris wheel sits on top of a three story building in front of which people walk on a path.
Seoul Observation Wheel, 2023, ©The Reits-Kempinsky Hotel & Resorts

This image was created to show what the Twin Eye will look like.

What’s the best way to get a bird’s eye view of a city? You could ride a giant Ferris wheel! A new Ferris wheel called the Twin Eye is being planned for Seoul, South Korea, and it won’t just be massive—it will also have an unusual design.

The Twin Eye is set to be 591 feet (180 meters) high, about as tall as a 45-story building. It will have 64 enclosed capsules, each able to hold 20 to 25 people, which means it will be able to carry more than 1,400 passengers at once! Because of the wheel’s size, passengers will be treated to a panoramic view of Seoul once they reach the top. There will be fun at the bottom, too. The wheel will sit on top of a building where people can watch performances and buy food and drinks.

Many people are familiar with Ferris wheels. They’re commonly found at theme parks and carnivals. Most Ferris wheels have spokes, which are bars that connect the outer part of the wheel to the center of the wheel. The entire wheel rotates, moving each car to the top and then back down to the bottom. The spokes help provide support to the outer part of the wheel.

Aerial view showing the location of a large Ferris wheel within a city.

Seoul Observation Wheel, 2023, ©The Reits-Kempinsky Hotel & Resorts

The Twin Eye will not have spokes, which suggests that riding it will be an unusual experience. Many times, with spokeless Ferris wheels, the wheel doesn’t move. Instead, the cars, or capsules, move around the edge of the wheel. The Twin Eye will look like a big, open circle in the sky.

The Twin Eye is set to be completed by the end of 2028.

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Fun Fact

© Ian Whitworth/Dreamstime.com

In 2013, Clinton Shepherd rode a Ferris wheel in Chicago, Illinois, for 48 hours, eight minutes, and 25 seconds. Except for one five-minute break each hour, Shepherd was on the wheel for more than two days!

How Big Do Ferris Wheels Get?

Size comparison of large city Ferris wheels and a typical carnival Ferris wheel shown in measurements and diagrams.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ferris wheels come in all sizes. Around the world, people are building Ferris wheels that are much larger than the usual carnival Ferris wheel. 

The image above shows the world’s biggest Ferris wheels and how they compare to a carnival Ferris wheel (shown in the dotted red box).

Seoul, South Korea

© Adrian Catalin Lazar, Nattanai Chimjanon/Dreamstime.com, © Jupiterimages—PHOTOS.com/Getty Images, © nyker/stock.adobe.com; Photo composite Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Seoul is the capital of South Korea. It was founded in 1394! You can read more about Seoul at Britannica.

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Word of the Day

panoramic

Part of speech:
adjective
Definition:
: (of a view) full and wide
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