ArcelorMittal Orbit

The ArcelorMittal Orbit stands in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, as Britain’s largest piece of public art. It is a 114.5-metre sculpture and observation tower built to mark the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Positioned between the London Stadium and the Aquatics Centre, it offers views across the entire park from two platforms. Designed by Turner Prize winner Anish Kapoor and engineer Cecil Balmond, the tower combines art and structure in a single form. Its spiral walkway lets visitors ascend while experiencing the shifting red steel lattice. The project was funded largely by steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, whose company lent its name to the tower. The tower’s creation followed a brief from Mayor Boris Johnson and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell for something extra to transform the East London skyline. A nine-person advisory panel chose Orbit from dozens of proposals in 2010. Critics and supporters alike have debated its bold design and lasting value as public art. After the Games it closed briefly for park regeneration before reopening in 2014. In 2016 a 178-metre tunnel slide was added, giving riders a different view of the tower’s twisting frame. Visitors find two observation decks reached by the internal walkway, which winds upward through the lattice. The slide starts at the top and descends 178 metres through transparent sections, offering glimpses of the red steel as it turns. The surrounding parkland includes the stadium and aquatic centre, linking art with sport. The structure’s red steel ribs create cathedral-like spaces between its curves. From the platforms the whole Olympic Park stretches out below.