An observation tower on the Olympic site
The 2012 Olympic Games were planned on the principle that the biggest party ever held in London should not be followed by a hangover. In place of leaving decaying, unused stadiums, which were the legacy of mega-events in Athens, Beijing and South Africa, the intention was to transform industrial wasteland into a large park on the banks of the river Lee, business and entertainment districts and pleasant residential areas. The sports venues have now been partly dismantled, leaving a downsized aquatics centre, the velodrome and the main stadium, which became the new home of West Ham United FC in the 2016–17 football season. Up to 6800 homes in five new districts are to be built by 2030 – and in the middle of all this will stand an eye-catching visitor attraction, a sculpture 115 metres high that doubles as a viewing tower.
The tower, produced through a collaboration of the engineer Cecil Balmond and the artist Anish Kapoor, is officially called Arcelor-Mittal Orbit. The billionaire Lakshmi Mittal made a large contribution, including steel that his company produced with 60 per cent recycled content in accordance with the Olympic project’s declared aim of sustainability. The structure looks like a white-knuckle looping ride, made of red tubular steel wrapped around a central support. Two viewing platforms at the top present a 30-kilometre panorama across the whole of London for up to 5000 visitors daily. They can descend via 455 steps circling around the main pillar with a view of the sculptural forms, or take a 40-second, adrenalin-kick orbit on a 178-metre-long slide – or sedately use the lift.
Info
Address South Plaza, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 | Public Transport Stratford (Central, Jubilee Line, DLR) | Hours Daily 10am–6pm, Oct–March 11am–5pm, http://arcelormittalorbit.com| Tip The White Building, a »centre for art, technology and sustainability« with a canal-side café, is in Queen’s Yard, a short walk north-west of the Olympic stadium.
Critics have variously damned this »snake that swallowed a broomstick« and »vainglorious sub-industrial steel gigantism«, or praised its organic shape as »a network of bulging red arteries« and »a generous drunken party animal«. The popularity of Orbit as a viewpoint suggests that the party has successfully been held without a hangover.
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