ArcelorMittal Orbit

Located in what is now Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park the ArcelorMittal Orbit is a 376 foot tall artistic monument engineered and sculpted with steel tubing. It is the tallest sculpture in the United Kingdom. The tower, which was to be a symbol and legacy of the 2012 Summer Olympics, was built according to a winning design by the renowned artist Sir Anish Kapoor and engineer Cecil Balmond. Inspite of some controversy, due to the economic recession at the time of construction, this unusual and gigantic work of art was completed in time for the Olympics. After the Olympic Games it was closed to visitors while work was done to convert the surrounding park area to its post olympic state. The Orbit reopened in April of 2014 as a permanant tourist attraction.

Visitors to the park can not only view this unique structure from the park, but for a fee they can go to one of the two indoor viewing platforms near the top and enjoy a panoramic view of the park and beyond. It is a good idea to pre-book your tickets online to avoid long line-ups and make sure you can get in.

To add excitement, for an additional fee you can enjoy a thrilling 40 second slide at speeds up to 25 kph down the tower's newly opened feature, the tallest, longest tunnel slide on the planet. This exciting slide corkscrews down the tower, first in one direction, then abruptly changing to the opposite direction, all the while alternating between clear sections and complete darkness.

Of course, if you prefer you can enjoy the far more leisurely 12 minute descent down the spiral staircase.

About 2000 tons of tubular steel was used in the construction of the ArcelorMittal Orbit. The 2 viewing platforms near the top each have a capacity of about 150 people. The centre, or 'trunk' of the tower contains an elevator and is wrapped with a spiral staircase that has 455 steps. According to Kapoor one of the things that influenced the design was the Tower of Babel and Balmond envisioned the orbit of an electron. Either way, the end result is definitely a unique design that many like and many do not, but whichever camp you fall into, you can always enjoy the great view from the top.

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