The Seoul Ring, a 180-meter-tall observation wheel, will offer breathtaking views of Seoul. It will be constructed along the banks of the Han River, not far from the famous capital stadium. Previously, the site of this future attraction was the Sangam-dong city dump, but now it has transformed into Hanil Park, which means “sky.” This area is also referred to as the “Gateway to Seoul.”
What sets this attraction apart is that, unlike many other observation wheels, the Seoul wheel will not have any spokes supporting its structure. The absence of spokes is a relatively new engineering innovation, as reported by CNN.
In a press release announcing the project, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) stated that the location for the wheel in Hanil Park, situated in the northeast of the city, was chosen for various reasons. One of them is its geographical proximity to the border with North Korea. Thus, the giant wheel is intended to symbolize national unity, according to SMG.
The construction of the attraction is planned to take two years, with work set to begin in 2025.
What This Attraction Will Be Like
The Seoul wheel is one of several initiatives being implemented in this area. Currently, eco-projects are underway here. The government has announced that the new wheel will be built using environmentally friendly technologies. The attraction will, in particular, be powered by solar panels.
The Seoul wheel will feature 36 capsule cabins, each capable of accommodating up to 25 people. At full capacity, it will transport 11,792 visitors daily.
These large, spacious steel capsules with panoramic windows will rotate slowly, providing passengers with exhilarating experiences. The mechanism of the observation wheel is similar to that which powers escalators in airports, except in the case of this Seoul marvel, the “escalator” moves in a circle.
Residents of Seoul expect that the spoke-less wheel will become a cultural and entertainment landmark, attracting festival participants and numerous tourists.
Currently, the world’s tallest spoke-less observation wheel, standing at 145 meters, can be found in Shandong Province, China. The record-holding observation wheel with traditional spokes is the “Ain Dubai” (Dubai Eye) in the UAE, which opened to visitors in 2021 on an artificial island. The height of the Dubai wheel reaches 250 meters. The “London Eye,” standing at 135 meters and beloved by filmmakers, ranks only sixth in the global standings, preceded by two giant wheels in China and one each in Singapore, the USA, and the UAE.