Seoul Twin Eye - A Ferris Wheel With A Twist

Remember 'Seoul Ring', the tolkienesque totem that was supposed to overlook the Han River from the top of Haneul Park? Well it's back, but with a couple of twists.

'Seoul Twin Eye'

'Seoul Ring'

First, the wheel is not on top of the hill, but at its feet, in the World Cup Park, by the Nanji Lake and Peace Park, mounted on a 40 m pedestal to compensate for the altitude loss. Still, we're talking about something gigantic: 180 m wheels, 64 capsules, 1,440 people at a time...

Second, that's a double wheel, with intertwined rings. So you will move sideways as well as vertically, which can be a bit disturbing if not for sensitive stomachs, at least for your sense of balance. A bit like the Las Vegas Luxor's 'inclinator', but in a loop. Thankfully, the pace is slow, so that you can enjoy the view instead.

 

Third, there's a whole Barnum around it, with a zip line,  performance and exhibition halls, a fountain show on the lake, and many other facilities, almost Lotte World style. 

 

A monorail to the subway (World Cup Stadium Station Line 6) will add more infrastructure to what was supposed to be a park, but also draw much more visitors on very cold or very hot days.

This KRW 910 bn extravaganza may not be the final concept. At this stage, Seoul city just gave the best score to the Seoul Twin Eye Consortium featuring SH Corporation, with SK Ecoplant leading the construction. Should its preferred bidder position be confirmed, this consortium will enjoy a 30-year concession.

Note that the company in charge of guaranteeing the structure, ARUP, already worked on the giant ferris wheel by the Thames, but at least Seoul decided to do something different from London. So as the name (which may not be final) suggests: 'Seoul Twin Eye' vs 'London Eye', rather a me-two than a me-too project?

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