‘ArcelorMittal’ Orbit – Your views on this sculptor

I just came across an article on the BBC News website launching a sculptor to honour the London Olympics in 2012. The Orbit sponsored by ArcelorMittal will be taller than the Statue of Liberty by 22 metres and will stand 112 metres in total and will offer panoramic views of London.

The sculptor has art critics drooling at the mouth, but I can’t help but think this was designed by a 5-year-old on acid. Granted, it is different to what is out there,  but I can’t see the specialness of it.

It is going to cost over £19 million to make this art work, with the majority being received from the Steel Company ArcelotMittal. I can’t help but wonder is this a realistic cost or was it calculated by the same people who calculated the following:

• Millennium Bridge – £16 million (Final cost £23.2 million)
• Millennium Dome – £399 million (Final cost £700 million)
• Wembley Stadium – £458 million (Final cost £798 million)
• London Olympics – £2.4 billion (Final cost expected to exceed £20 billion)

That’s just London, what about all around the country. We do have a habit of under calculating the true costs.

If the costs continue to spiral, then where is the money to come from? The steel company or London Development Agency aka the government?

Arup are the engineering company that is going to help produce The Oribital. Now, this doesn’t exactly offer me a vote of confidence for two reasons, delay and stability. For those who can’t remember Arup were also the people behind the Millennium Bridge in London.

The bridge was meant to open for the millennium, however was delayed until June 2000. Then closed and re-opened in 2002. Taken into account that this sculptor is to commemorate the Olympics it has a strict deadline that shouldn’t be missed. So who would like to place a bet on this being delayed?

After two days of wobbliness the Millennium Bridge was closed and re-opened in 2002.  So would you climb 122 metres up from the same company when stability is a must, especially taken into account the designer wanted to create ‘a sensation of instability’?

Let’s just say, I won’t be the first to go to the top of the sculptor.

What is peoples view on the new sculptor? What do you think of the design? Do you think it will be ready in time? Does London need another sculptor than looks over London?

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