The Wheel of Liverpool is a
transportable Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...
installation on the
Keel Wharf waterfront of the
River Mersey
The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...
in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. The wheel is near to
M&S Bank Arena Liverpool, and was originally opened on 25 March 2010. It was dismantled for refurbishment in the Netherlands in November 2020 and rebuilt in Spring 2021. The structure is tall, weighing 365 tonnes and has 42 fully enclosed capsules attached. The wheel had been planned for three years by the company
Great City Attractions Great City Attractions Limited, also known as Great City Attractions Global, was a company engaged in the operation of large transportable Ferris wheels. Based in Sutton Coldfield, UK, it was incorporated in 2008. It went into administration in Jul ...
. They submitted a planning application which explained that it would increase tourism in Liverpool. A smaller observation wheel had been operational in the city, which was located at the
Liverpool One
Liverpool ONE is a shopping, residential, and leisure complex in Liverpool, England. The project involved the redevelopment of 42 acres (170,000 m2) of land in the city centre. It is a retail-led development anchored by the department store ...
leisure complex. This was dismantled because of the plans to open the Wheel of Liverpool. Construction was completed on 11 February 2010 at a cost of £6 million.
The wheel was closed for a short time following Great City Attractions going into
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
. Freij Entertainment International purchased the attraction and it is operated by their subsidiary
Wheels Entertainments Ltd. In November of 2020 Freij Entertainment International dismantled the wheel without warning or explanation.
This was later explained as a planned refurbishment. The wheel was rebuilt in Spring of 2021 and reopened in the summer of 2021.
[ In October 2013, the Wheel of Liverpool was struck by lightning but did not sustain any damage.
]
History
Planning and opening
In October 2009, it was announced that Great City Attractions Great City Attractions Limited, also known as Great City Attractions Global, was a company engaged in the operation of large transportable Ferris wheels. Based in Sutton Coldfield, UK, it was incorporated in 2008. It went into administration in Jul ...
had submitted a planning application to install a giant observation wheel on the former King's Dock site of Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. They stated that with the wheel tourism would be increased and it would complement the city's skyline. The company had been negotiating a deal for three years prior. In 2005, The Liverpool Culture Company had unsuccessfully attempted to secure permission the build a wheel on the Canning Half Tide Dock
Canning Half Tide Dock on the River Mersey, in Liverpool, England, is a Half Tide Dock, half tide dock and is part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the southern dock system, connected to Canning Dock to the east and Royal Albert Dock, ...
. While a temporary predecessor had already existed in Liverpool, located on the Liverpool One
Liverpool ONE is a shopping, residential, and leisure complex in Liverpool, England. The project involved the redevelopment of 42 acres (170,000 m2) of land in the city centre. It is a retail-led development anchored by the department store ...
shopping centre complex. This was closed on 31 January 2010. That wheel had always been acknowledged as a temporary structure because of the city council's aspirations for the Wheel of Liverpool. The attraction had the backing of the Albert Dock Tenants’ Business Association because of the overall waterfront visitor experience it would provide. The application was successful and granted permission to operate for an initial twelve months, later extended to two years. Installation began in the days that followed the closure of the Liverpool One Wheel. Its construction was completed on 11 February 2010.
The attraction was opened on 25 March 2010 and had its own launch party. It was located on the piazza of Liverpool event campus. The official name of the attraction was the "Wheel of Liverpool". In its first year of operation it played host charity event, in which participants remained inside pods while the ride was operated for 24 hours. The ''Liverpool Echo
The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liverp ...
'' have claimed that the attraction has been successful and has become a known landmark in Liverpool. In October 2013, the structure was struck by lightning but no damage was confirmed following safety checks.
Design and ownership
The wheel cost came a cost of six million pounds to manufacture and construct. The structure was tall and 5 m taller than the Liverpool One Wheel. It weighed 365 tonnes and it was supported by six 30 meter columns. 75,000 LED lights were installed to light it during the night. The structure was supported on 300 tonnes of water. It was designed to have almost silent operation.
The wheel had 42 fully enclosed capsules attached. They gave riders views of the River Mersey, the Welsh mountains and World Heritage Site waterfront at Pier Head
The Pier Head (properly, George's Pier Head) is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool, England. It was part of the former Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was inscribed in 2004, but revoked in ...
. One of the capsules was stylised as a luxury capsule complete with a glass floor. Each pod could carry up to eight passengers and were designed to give a 360 degree panoramic view of the surrounding area. The ride operated in three cycles which took approximately ten to twelve minutes.
Great City Attractions retained ownership of the wheel for two year until the company went into administration in July 2012. The attraction had to be closed down during August 2012 until a new investor was found. Land owners ACC Liverpool
Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, also known as simply ACC Liverpool is a multi-purpose event complex on the former Kings Dock, Liverpool, England. Opened in May 2008, it is part of Liverpool event campus, consisting of an interconnected ...
remained in contact with administrators during the closure. The Wheel of Liverpool was acquired by Dubai-based Freij Entertainment International, who without public warning or explanation dismantled the attraction in November of 2020. This was later explained as a planned refurbishment requiring transport of the wheel to the manufacturers facility in the Netherlands. The wheel was rebuilt in Spring of 2021 and reopened in the summer of 2021.
References
External links
*
{{Liverpool B&S
Ferris wheels in the United Kingdom
Transportable Ferris wheels
Buildings and structures in Liverpool
Amusement rides introduced in 2010