"Orbit." London's new iconic image?
I know people said the same thing about the Eiffel Tower back in the day, but what the hell?!
The thing looks like a partially-melted roller coaster, which I guess sort of fits with the random gigantic ferris wheel London already has.
Anish Kapoor’s “Orbit” sculpture will stand 120 meters (about 131 yards) high in the midst of London’s 2012 Olympic venues. It’s part of an effort to avoid an Athens 2004 situation, where many of the Olympic venues are basically just sitting around without a whole lot of use for them. The sculpture is supposed to help turn the area into a major tourist attraction once the Olympics are over.
My guess is that people will come from all over the world to stare and say, “Damn that’s ugly!” In which case it would in fact serve its purpose brilliantly.
While the city is at it, Londoners could also transform the clock in Big Ben into something that looks like it stepped out of Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. Combine that and “Orbit” with the London Eye, and the city’s new tourism slogan could be, “London: Godzilla’s amusement park.”
I don’t know about you, but I’d gladly pay to see that.
Tags: 2012 Olympics, Anish Kapoor, art, Big Ben, England, London, London Eye, London Olympics, Olympics, Orbit, public art, Salvador Dali, sculpture, tourism, tourist traps, United Kingdom
March 31, 2010 at 12:53 pm |
It’s akin to a mestophilic atom
March 31, 2010 at 1:36 pm |
Hopefully it might bring tourist to the area after the Olympics because all that london need is another athens scenario where no one visit it, so this might be money well spend if it bring tourists
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March 31, 2010 at 1:38 pm |
What an insanely ugly yet AWESOMELY INTERESTING work of art– but what is it exactly?
And I didn’t realize how tall the structure stood until I realize that those little dots below were people. I wonder if this tourist landmark can turn a profit.
March 31, 2010 at 1:50 pm |
Where’s the giant gorilla that twisted the rollercoaster into a pretzel? That would be a cool diorama.
March 31, 2010 at 2:42 pm |
[...] Excerpt from: London: Godzilla's Amusement Park « A Tale Told by an Idiot [...]
March 31, 2010 at 3:35 pm |
ha! it seems as London is such a hype that nothing can destroy its image. just build what crazy architects come up with and will be starred at.
)
to a certain extend such cases can be used to proof how cool a city is. i doubt that many city would come away with such crazy stuff
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March 31, 2010 at 3:36 pm |
It looks like an ampersand, or maybe someone in a metal shop class twisted an old cigarette stand (not that I smoke or anything…I don’t, really).
It would be nice to think that it might be made out of recycled military hardware – as a way of finally putting old military hardware to good use!
March 31, 2010 at 5:00 pm |
“It would be nice to think that it might be made out of recycled military hardware” – What a wonderful idea! Sadly not likely, since Lakshmi Mittal, the man funding its large price tag, is a steel magnate.
April 5, 2010 at 9:54 am
Although, as you say, it would be a nicer idea to use scrap steel collected from around UK, I think ‘Orbit’ is going to be a great piece of work – upbeat, it’s certainly got movement and joy – just the thing to counteract a rather depressed British mentality! Chicago has the ‘Bean’, now we’ll have the ‘Scream’!
March 31, 2010 at 4:21 pm |
hi BONICK
March 31, 2010 at 4:40 pm |
Makes me want to hurl.
March 31, 2010 at 6:02 pm |
That does look like a melted roller coaster. i dont believe how ppl can call it art.
March 31, 2010 at 6:25 pm |
[...] See the article here: London: Godzilla's Amusement Park « A Tale Told by an Idiot [...]
March 31, 2010 at 6:55 pm |
If it has to be done, Anish Kapoor may well be the guy. His work makes me laugh with delight, and other people jump http://wp.me/pDjed-5v though perhaps that’s inappropriate when we’re talking about this latest plan. His recent exhibition at the Royal Academy in London was great. He does not shy away from spectacle.
March 31, 2010 at 7:58 pm |
An exhibition of epic proportions…….http://scripturesnapshots.wordpress.com
March 31, 2010 at 8:40 pm |
This is absolutely horrendous. As an architecture student I do not see any merit or beauty in this structure at all. I would have preferred the alternative proposal with all the bubbles, that would have been a lot more interesting!
March 31, 2010 at 8:46 pm |
nice architecture, admit!
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March 31, 2010 at 10:15 pm |
lol it does look like a roller coaster melted
March 31, 2010 at 10:30 pm |
bonne poisson d’avril~
April 1, 2010 at 12:11 am |
Bahaha! It is kind of silly!
April 1, 2010 at 1:29 am |
As I saw pointed out another blog, this isn’t that original of a design, but looks like something done by 1920s constructivist Vladimir Tatlin. I don’t believe it’s hideous without redemption, but it’s not exactly breathtaking. Scale it down and from the immense height being proposed, and would you really think it’s that great?
April 1, 2010 at 4:35 am |
lolzzzzz…..
April 1, 2010 at 5:27 am |
I think it is fantastic!
Wonderful, bizarre, modern, old, with a twist …
I hope it gets built.
April 1, 2010 at 7:37 am |
I’m still amazed that the Olympics are going to be held in that fine city. Where are you going to put everyone!!!???
Yeah, I’d go see it! Just to say “Yeah, I saw it”.
April 3, 2010 at 5:51 pm |
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October 29, 2011 at 4:02 pm |
london olympic dates…
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