Singapore - Flyer

The Singapore Flyer is the second tallest Ferris wheel in the world, with a wheel diameter of 492 feet and an overall height of 541 feet. (The tallest is the High Roller, in Las Vegas.) It was designed by Kisho-Kurokawa Architects & Associates, of Japan, and DP Architects, of Singapore. Arup were the structural engineers.

It took just two-and-half-years to build, opening in 2008, at the incredible cost of about £90m. The main contractors were Tekenaka and Mitsubishi, both of Japan. Unusually, the wheel is constructed with a slim ladder truss rim. The standard design for modern Ferris wheels is a rim of triangular cross-section. The 'one-dimensional' truss makes for a largely unobstructed view.

The rim weighs 700 tonnes, the cables 300 tonnes, and the supporting structure and spindle 600 tonnes. The whole is founded upon 38 piles, driven 130 feet into the ground. A full rotation takes about 32 minutes. The wheel originally rotated counter-clockwise. In August 2008 the direction was reversed on the advice of feng shui masters. They could have simply walked round the other side.

The view is an ever-changing one of the architecture of Marina Bay and the city, the Gardens by the Bay, and the shipping beyond the Marina Barrage. The 28 capsules, which can each carry 28 passengers, are air-conditioned. Both factors make this a far better attraction than the nearby Marina Bay Sands Skypark observation deck, which latter provides no seating or shade.