Seoul announces plans to build the world’s tallest soundless Ferris wheel by 2027,
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced plans to build the “world’s tallest soundless Ferris wheel” at Haneul Park in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, South Korea.
Dubbed the Seoul Loop, Seoul’s skyline will be greeted in 2027 with a 180-meter (591-foot) tall Ferris wheel without any megaphones running through it.
In normally designed Ferris wheels, the capsules are held outside the frame by electric motors to enable the capsules to rotate independently.
The world’s tallest silent Ferris wheel
According to the government, the new Ferris wheels will not have a central hub,
instead the rim of the wheel remains firmly in place and each pod travels around the circumference of the rim.
Announced on the Seoul Metropolitan Government website,
the Seoul Loop will be the second tallest Ferris wheel after the world’s tallest Ferris wheel,
at 145 meters, which opened in Shandong, China in 2017.
Construction of the Seoul Loop will begin in June 2025 and is expected to be completed by December 2027.
Building the Seoul Ring using innovative and environmentally friendly technologies
Set to be built atop a hill near the Han River in Sangam-dong,
a former landfill site – also known as an eco-themed park,
the new Ferris wheel will be built using innovative and eco-friendly technologies.
Meanwhile, the tire will be designed to generate solar energy.
The final list was narrowed down to Nodol Island for its outstanding infrastructure,
Hanul Park for its sight and symbolism on the basis of accessibility,
nearby tourist infrastructure, sightseeing, landmark and balanced development.
As a result of the final evaluation, Haneul Park was finally chosen because of the symbolism of inter-Korean reconciliation and the gateway to Seoul.
Haneul Park is a place of significance for its symbolism as a gateway to both Seoul and a unified Korea and as a location geographically close to North Korea signifying the harmony and reunification of the Korean race.
When visitors get their hands on the capsules, they will have great views of the Hangang River,
downtown Seoul, Namsan Mountain, and even Bukhansan Mountain.
In addition, it is the best place to realize the municipality’s vision for the city of creating harmony between citizens,
planet, future and the environment (i.e. carbon neutrality and climate change), given Hanul Park’s past as a landfill.
The Seoul Ring will be built using innovative technology
without spokes that is completely advanced in terms of aesthetics, compared to the design of traditional Ferris wheels.
To achieve this, the city of Seoul will consult domestic and international experts in architecture and engineering to ensure the construction and structural integrity of the soundless design of the Seoul Ring.
According to the government announcement, “the city plans to complement and develop more advanced and innovative designs in cooperation with the private sector.”
Integration of a soundless Ferris wheel with augmented reality technology
The Seoul Circuit will have 36 carriages, each of which can hold up to 25 passengers,
meaning that when full, it will transport up to 12,000 people per day.
Using augmented reality technology, visitors will be able to read tourist information projected onto the glass walls of each capsule.
The Korea Herald reported that the government also plans to allow visitors to “dine in the sky” by holding catering banquets.
According to the same source, the budget for the project is expected to be 400 billion won ($303.3 million).
The installation of gondola lifts and moving walks, with the aim of providing greater access for tourists to Haneul Park,
is also part of the plans.
Also thanks to these services, visitors will be able to choose either to climb the hill or take the paid golf cart service.
The Korea Times reported that the government will also display an exhibition about the park at the bottom of the Ferris wheel.
“Not only will the Seoul Loop be environmentally friendly, running on recycled energy with a unique design without loudspeakers,
but it is also expected to attract up to 30 million visitors and boost the local economy,” the Seoul government said in its statement.
The Seoul Circuit is expected to be a truly one-of-a-kind attraction that will put Seoul on the map.
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