London Eye. View of the London Eye, formerly known as the Millennium Wheel. Opened in spring 2000, 32 continually-rotating observation pods each carry up to 25 people on the 30 minute trip. The view from the top can be over 40 km. In all, the 1600 tonne structure uses 6 km of cables. The London Eye was designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield, and is sponsored by British Airways.