Julia Barfield designed the iconographic landmark, which celebrates its 25th anniversary on Sunday (09.03.25) and explained that she wanted it to be more than something that can merely be viewed.

Barfield told the BBC: “It was something that would be participatory, it would be about celebration, and basically it's about celebrating London.”

The story of the Eye began in 1993, when Barfield and her late husband David Marks entered a competition to design a temporary structure in honour of the new millennium.

The competition, held by the Architecture Foundation and The Times newspaper, rejected the couple’s idea. However, Barfield and Marks persisted with their plan for the massive observation wheel and went through hundreds of different design ideas.

With help from investors and supporters, Barfield and Marks finally saw their vision realised.

Barfield described the view from the height of the 135-metre structure as "being on top of a mountain in the middle of the city".

The wheel was formally opened on 31 December 1999, and it gave its first ride to the public on 9 March 2000. It was intended to be temporary, but its popularity has secured it a spot on the South Bank ever since and Lambeth Council officially confirmed in May 2024 that it would be a permanent fixture.

Now, it is one of the most recognisable structures in London and a major part of the city’s skyline.

Barfield said: "We didn't want the landmark to be something that you just looked at.”

Instead, she sees the wheel as “a symbol of renewal and the cycles of life".