Unique Design with Removed Spokes Draws Attention
High Cost and Drying Difficulty Are Burdens
So Far, Only One Each in Japan and China
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing to complete the world's largest Ferris wheel, 'Seoul Ring,' by 2027 at Sky Park in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu. Seoul Ring, set to become a new landmark of Seoul, is notable not only for its massive scale but also for its unique 'spokeless' design. Ring-shaped Ferris wheels with a hollow center are extremely rare, with only two existing worldwide to date.
New Concept Ferris Wheel with Hollow Center
Ring-shaped Ferris wheels are commonly called 'centerless Ferris wheels,' 'spokeless Ferris wheels,' or 'hubless Ferris wheels.' The design itself is very intuitive. It completely removes the steel structures that support the outer circular frame of the Ferris wheel.
Since there is no shaft to transmit power to the Ferris wheel, the ring-shaped Ferris wheel does not rotate as a whole. Instead, the passenger capsules mounted on the outer ring structure move around.
While the unique and elegant design is an advantage, engineering-wise, it is a very challenging feat to erect a structure weighing over 1000 tons without any supporting pillars. During the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Seoul also considered building a ring-shaped structure called the 'Gate of Millennium,' but the plan was ultimately scrapped due to budget and safety concerns.
So Far, Only One Each in Japan and China
The world's first ring-shaped Ferris wheel, "Big O" in Tokyo, Japan / [Image source=Tokyo Dome City official website]
To date, only two ring-shaped Ferris wheel projects have been realized, located in Japan and China respectively.
The world's first ring-shaped Ferris wheel is 'Big O' in Tokyo, Japan. It is a landmark of Tokyo Dome City, with a diameter of 60 meters and a total of 40 gondolas installed. It gained attention for its bold design where a roller coaster passes through the center of the Ferris wheel. Big O was completed in 2003 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a major Japanese engineering company, and was registered in the Guinness World Records as the first ring-shaped Ferris wheel.
Mitsubishi is also the company that first devised the rotation mechanism for shaftless ring-shaped Ferris wheels. First, a power system called the 'drive system' is integrated outside the outer ring of the Ferris wheel. Then, the supports of the passenger capsules are connected to the drive system. As the drive system rotates Big O one full turn, it simultaneously pulls the passenger capsules along.
The second ring-shaped Ferris wheel is 'Eye of Bohai,' built in 2017 in Shandong Province, China. It has a diameter of 125 meters and a total height of 145 meters, about 10 meters taller than the London Eye in the UK. It has 36 passenger capsules, each accommodating 8 to 10 passengers. It takes about 30 minutes for a capsule to complete one full rotation around the wheel.
Seoul Ring Aims to Become the World's Largest Ring-Shaped Ferris Wheel
Seoul Ring is designed as a ring-shaped Ferris wheel with a diameter of 180 meters. If this project materializes, it will take the title of 'world's largest ring-shaped Ferris wheel' from Eye of Bohai in 2027.
Additionally, the city plans to apply the latest eco-friendly technologies as power sources so that Seoul Ring can become a global symbol of the circular economy and climate action. They are considering utilizing renewable energy linked with the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility (a municipal waste incineration plant).
The Seoul Ring construction project is scheduled to begin in June 2025 and be completed by December 2027. It will be promoted as a private investment project with an estimated budget of 400 billion KRW.
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