The ArcelorMittal Orbit, that strange red tower in London’s Olympic Park, is to be turned into a helter skelter.
The Olympic Legacy Corporation has approved a planning application to create a slide from the platforms of the structure down to ground level. It is anticipated that the slide will be installed by spring 2016.
The 178-metre slide will take approximately 40 seconds to descend as riders travel at speeds of up to 15mph. It is being billed as the world’s ‘longest and tallest tunnel slide’.
The 114.5-metre high structure (pictured below) was designed by sculptor Anish Kapoor for the 2012 Olympics and build with sponsorship funding from steel firm ArcelorMittal. It remains a landmark of what is now called the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.