The world’s latest conversation piece?
Is it a tower? Is it a trumpet? Is it a “shish pipe” (as London Mayor Boris Johnson joked)? Whatever you think of the breathtaking sculpture by Turner Prize winning artist Anish Kapoor, who was assisted by one of the world’s leading structural designers, Cecil Balmond, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is already becoming the world’s most popular conversation piece with over 50,000 Twitter mentions only hours after the design’s unveiling at a Press Conference in London. And that’s a good thing!
The suspense was electric at the press conference on March 31. Journalists were invited to hear breaking news concerning the 2012 Olympic Games and they were not disappointed. London Mayor Boris Johnson and ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO, Lakshmi Mittal unveiled the artist and design chosen to create a spectacular new visitor attraction in Olympic Park – the ArcelorMittal Orbit.
With cameras flashing during Boris’s speech (surely the most entertaining mayor ever) he told the story of how a 45 second chance meeting with Mr Mittal in a cloak room in Davos eventually led to ArcelorMittal’s 16 million£ funding towards a new icon steel structure for the city as well as the Group’s two tier sponsorship of the Olympic and Paralympics Games to support the infrastructure and success of 2012.
Kapoor said that that the Orbit’s bold non-linear design came out of the challenge to redefine what a tower is. Calling the resulting sculpture a “dynamic representation of a city coming out of a recession,” Boris thanked ArcelorMittal, along with the artistic input of Kapoor and Balmond, for helping to give the city of London an attraction that will last long after the Olympics have come and gone.
A smiling Mr Mittal said that the Orbit not only demonstrates to people the beauty that steel can achieve, but that the Olympics are a global event, and as ArcelorMittal is a truly global company, it is the right moment for ArcelorMittal to offer something to the City of London that was truly global in scope and appeal. A quick look at the internet a few short minutes after the design was unveiled showed that news of it – and debate about the choice – has already been travelling around the world and back again.
Picture taken by mayoroflondon
4 comments
-
April 1st, 2010 by Charlotte
This is a great moment for London – the city we all love! For us to be part of of something that will stand tall in London for generations to come is truly special. I can’t wait to go up on the viewing platform and to join the spirit of the Olympics!
-
April 1st, 2010 by Tobin
This is pretty cool, I was in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics so I have experienced first-hand how speical it is to be a part of the Olympic Games. As Boris said, the Orbit is going to be “a big vertical invitation” to London and I’m proud that ArcelorMittal will be a part of it – maybe I will actually get to see an Olympic event live!
-
April 1st, 2010 by Mark
I feel this is great news, finally AM will have some publicity & exposure in the UK. The number of people I speak to who haven’t even heard of the company in the UK is astounding, especially when you consider our global market size.
-
April 4th, 2010 by Дмитрий Кропивницкий (DK)
Greatest!
Add a comment
CONTENT LOCATOR
