Ferris Wheel - Observation Wheels

Observation Wheels

Observation wheel is an alternative name for Ferris wheel. In 1892, when the incorporation papers for the Ferris Wheel Company (constructors of the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel) were filed, the purpose of the company was stated as: "...wheels of the Ferris or other types for the purpose of observation or amusement".

Some Ferris wheels are marketed as observation wheels, any distinction between the two names being at the discretion of the operator, however the wheels whose operators reject the term Ferris wheel are often those having most in common with the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel, especially in terms of scale and being an iconic landmark for a city or event.

Wheels with passenger cars mounted external to the rim and independently rotated by electric motors, as opposed to wheels with cars suspended from the rim and kept upright by gravity, are those most commonly referred to as observation wheels, and their cars are often referred to as capsules. However, these alternative names are also sometimes used for wheels with conventional gravity-oriented cars.

Currently, there are only two major operational Ferris wheels with motorised capsules.

The 165 m (541 ft) Singapore Flyer has cylindrical externally-mounted motorised capsules and is described as an observation wheel by its operators, but credited as "world's largest Ferris wheel" by the media.

The 135 m (443 ft) London Eye, typically described as a "giant Ferris wheel" by the media, has ovoidal externally-mounted motorised capsules and is the "world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel" according to its operators, who claim: "The London Eye is often mistakenly called a Ferris wheel. This is not the case: first, the passenger capsules are completely enclosed and are climate controlled; secondly, the capsules are positioned on the outside of the wheel structure and are fully motorised; and third, the entire structure is supported by an A-frame on one side only." However, the operators of the Singapore Flyer claim their wheel is the "world's largest observation wheel" despite it not being supported by an A-frame on one side only.

The 120 m (394 ft) Southern Star has ovoidal externally-mounted motorised capsules and is described by its operators as "the only observation wheel in the southern hemisphere", but also as a Ferris wheel by the media. The tallest wheel in the Southern Hemisphere, it opened two years behind schedule in December 2008, but then closed 40 days later due to structural defects, and was subsequently dismantled for major repairs. Reconstruction began in January 2011, but in August 2012 a spokesman the owner, ING Real Estate, stated that "due to the complexity of the construction process, we are not in a position to make any announcements regarding a 2013 opening date".

The proposed 167.6 m (550 ft) High Roller, announced in August 2011 and scheduled for completion on the Las Vegas Strip in late 2013, is to feature externally-mounted motorised capsules of a transparent spherical design, and is described as both a Ferris wheel and an observation wheel by the media.