A proposal for a London Eye-style attraction in Amsterdam has stirred up a sharp controversy, even though the proposed Ferris-wheel Eye Amsterdam attraction would be only a third the size of London’s.
The proposal for the 38-metre high wheel has a surprising list of high-profile backers, including the city’s Maritime Museum and the Nemo Science Museum and ten other cultural organizations that see it as an attraction on the waterfront, whose tickets could be bundled with museum admissions.
However, the other side also has serious players, including Friends of Amsterdam, a city center civic group that is among the groups working to make Amsterdam more local-friendly and reclaim the city’s center from mass tourism. One speaker for the group pointed out that the eastern dock area, where the wheel is proposed, has already partly silted from other building activities.
The present proposal is actually Act Two; a previous proposal for a 90-metre wheel that was rejected. Some preliminary permits for this version have been issued, but the overall plan has not been approved.
Image: Artist’s conception. Building at right is the Science Museum
