Singapore Flyer

Panorama ©NCCong 2014

The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel in Singapore. Described by its operators as an observation wheel, it opened in 2008, construction having taken about 2½ years. It carried its first paying passengers on 11 February, opened to the public on 1 March, and was officially opened on 15 April. It has 28 air-conditioned capsules, each able to accommodate 28 passengers, and incorporates a three-storey terminal building.

General information

• Malay name: Pelayang Singapura
• Chinese name: 新加坡摩天观景轮
• Tamil name: சிங்கப்பூர் ஃப்ளையர்
• Seating capacity: 784
• Height: 165 m (541 ft)
• Floor area: 33,700 m2 (362,700 sq ft)

Photo ©NCCong 2014

Design

The development has a gross building area of approximately 16,000 m2, built on a 33,700 m2 site along the Marina Promenade. Designed by Arup and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with a capacity of up to 7.3 million passengers a year, the normally constant rotation of the wheel means that a complete trip lasts approximately 32 minutes.

The site includes a tropical rainforest garden. The Flyer’s 28 air-conditioned capsules are mounted outboard of the rim of the wheel structure, providing continuously unobstructed views. Each capsule has a floor area of 26 m2 and is capable of holding 28 passengers, or up to five wheelchairs and 15 other visitors when booked in advance for use by disabled guests.

The wheel initially rotated in a counter-clockwise direction when viewed from Marina Centre, but on 4 August 2008 this was reversed on the advice of Feng shui masters.

Wheelchair ramps and lifts, handicapped toilets, and a dedicated parking lot for the disabled are also provided.

Other data

• Cost: S$240 million (US$180 million) (GBP£90 million)
• Architect: Kisho Kurokawa Architects & Associates, DP Architects
• Developer: Melchers Project Management
• Engineer: Arup
• Main contractor: Mitsubishi - Takenaka Consortium
• Owner 2003-2014: Singapore Flyer Pte Ltd
• Owner 2014-Present: Straco Corp. Ltd (90%), WTS Leisure Pte Ltd (10%)