05/11/2010 13:45
London already has something to rival Eiffel Tower
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in the Olympic Park in Stratford, London Thursday, November 4, to mark the start of construction work on the controversial ArcelorMittal Orbit tower.
The sculpture was designed by award winning artist Anish Kapoor in collaboration with one of the world’s leading structural designers, Cecil Balmond and will stand on the Olympic Park in Stratford.
Situated between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre, the ArcelorMittal Orbit will give visitors a view of the entire Olympic Park and across London’s skyline. Visitors will be able to take a trip up the structure in a lift and will have the option of walking down the spiralling staircase.
The ArcelorMittal Orbit, which will be Britain’s tallest sculpture, will consist of a continuous looping lattice of tubular steel and standing at a gigantic 114m.
The ArcelorMittal Orbit is expected to be completed and handed over to the Legacy Company by March 2012. The London Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will operate the Orbit in the summer of 2012. After a period of transformation, the Legacy Company is expected to re-open the visitor attraction in spring 2013.