Artist Anish Kapoor to design tallest tower for Olympic Park

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, today announced the artist and design chosen to create a spectacular new visitor attraction in the Olympic Park.

Award winning London-based artist Anish Kapoor has been given the commission of a lifetime to design the spectacular new public attraction in the Olympic Park.

The breathtaking sculpture –  to be entitled ‘The ArcelorMittal Orbit’,  and thought to be the tallest in the UK – will consist of a continuous looping lattice of tubular steel.

Standing at 115 metres , it will be 22 metres taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York,  and offer unparalleled views of the entire 250 acres of the Olympic Park and London’s skyline from a special viewing platform.

Visitors will be able to take a trip up the statuesque structure in a huge lift and will have the option of walking down the spiralling staircase.

Anish Kapoor’s proposal has been developed in collaboration with one of the world’s leading structural designers, Cecil Balmond of Arup.

ArcelorMittal will fund up to £16million of the £19.1million project with the outstanding £3.1 million provided by the London Development Agency.

The unveiling also marks ArcelorMittal’s announcement to become a tier two sponsor of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to support the infrastructure and success of 2012.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell agreed the commission in partnership with Mr Mittal after bringing together a panel from the art and design world to advise on a long list of proposals.

Anish Kapoor said,  ‘I am deeply honoured to be invited to undertake this challenging commission. I am particularly attracted to it because of the opportunity to involve members of the public in a particularly close and personal way. It is the commission of a lifetime.’

London Mayor Boris Johnson said,  ”Long after the Games are over our aim is to have a stunning spectacle in east London that will be recognised around the world.

“I’m thrilled that when visitors from every corner of the globe plan trips to our must see attractions they will now eagerly include the ArcelorMittal Orbit!

“It will be an internationally acclaimed family attraction and I would like to thank Mr Mittal for his generous support. Anish Kapoor’s inspired art work will truly encapsulate the energy and spirit of London during the Games and as such will become the perfect iconic cultural legacy.”

Lakshmi Mittal, CEO of ArcelorMittal, commented: “The Olympic Games are one of the few truly iconic global events. I was immediately excited by the prospect of ArcelorMittal becoming involved because ArcelorMittal is a global company with operations in more than 60 countries.

“And as someone who lives in this great city, I remember the great excitement felt when it was announced that London had been selected to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“We set out to create a transformational piece of art that will be an iconic symbol for the Olympics and also a new landmark that will endure long after the Games themselves.

“Everyone at ArcelorMittal is delighted with the outcome of the ArcelorMittal Orbit. London will have a bold, beautiful and magnificent sculpture that also showcases the great versatility of steel.”

The attraction will stand in the southern part of the Olympic Park between the Stadium and Aquatics Centre and will open in time for the 2012 Games.  After completion, the Olympic Park Legacy Company will take ownership and run the visitor attraction.

Minister for the Olympics and London Tessa Jowell said, “This stunning structure will become a new iconic London landmark towering 115 metres into the London skyline.

“Alongside the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre, Anish Kapoor’s brilliant design will be like to honey to bees for the millions of tourists that visit London each year. Having been involved in this project from the outset, I’m now looking forward to seeing it go from a great idea into a brilliant reality.”

Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), Seb Coe said, “Our ambitions for the Games are very clear and very simple.

“We want to leave leaving a lasting legacy: of more young people playing sport, of changing public attitudes towards disabilities through the Paralympic Games, of an extraordinarily transformed landscape in East London, in which this impressive sculpture will play a central role.

“The new sculpture will be an indelible memory, a declaration of legacy and a definable landmark that Londoners and people from around the world will enjoy visiting during the Games and long afterwards.

Margaret Ford, Chairman of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, said, “When you are able to combine an industry leader with a world renowned artist, supported by significant investment, we clearly see the significance of the Olympic Park.

“This visitor attraction will sit alongside our other iconic venues and, in animating the site, will encourage the public to use the park. This is a magnificent legacy asset.”

The Funding for the Orbit consists of a £10 million cash donation and £6 million in underwriting of capital costs which could be potentially recovered from post games profits.

The construction of the attraction will be subject to planning consent.

What do you think of the ArcelorMittal Orbit? Is this London’s answer to the Eiffel Tower? Is this a second Eye for London?