The 370ft-tall twisting steel tower named ‘ArcelorMittal Orbit’ is expected to become Britain’s largest sculpture. The sculpture designed by Turner Prize-winning artist Anish Kapoor in association with structural designer Cecil Balmond, will be situated between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre. This new piece of public art will become a major tourist attraction after the 2012 Games.
The design of the tower resembles a shisha pipe, and will offer a viewing platform, a spiral staircase, a lift and a restaurant. The structure will be 71ft taller than the world-famous Statue of Liberty in New York.
The vast snaking steel structure is expected to be completed and handed over to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) by March 2012.
The steel sculpture will be Britain’s largest piece of public art, and is intended to be a permanent, lasting legacy of London’s hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympics, assisting in the post-Olympics regeneration of the Stratford area.
The £22.3 million ($36 million) project is named in honor of its sponsor, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who is Britain’s wealthiest man. Mittal is donating £19.1 million ($30.8 million), with the remaining £3.1 million ($5 million) coming from the London Development Agency.
