The Orbit | 115m | Visitor attraction | Completed

[Knitemplar]

Originally Posted by spindrift

I mean...





or even this...that's the observation deck of the de Young Museum in San Francisco for those not familiar...

[jerseyboi]

Originally Posted by Knitemplar

The Orbit is like one of the Mad Hatter's teapots. It's a very un-tower like tower.

Its eccentrically British!

[eddyk]

All great towers Knitemplar... but which one of them would work in the Olympic park? Not sure if the Space Needle would work if I'm honest.

Also they all cost much much more than the Orbit. Who knows, maybe if Mr Kapoor had £50m to work with instead of £18m he might have come up with something more to your taste.

[Core Rising]

I visited Stratford today, saw the orbit and couldn't help but photograph it. I tried to make it look as good as possible.

hmm, not exactly very pretty:

image hosted on flickr

The Orbit by corerising, on Flickr

Flowers make it look better:

image hosted on flickr

The Orbit by corerising, on Flickr

Maybe hiding it a bit will help..

image hosted on flickr

The Orbit by corerising, on Flickr

Ahh perfect

image hosted on flickr

The Orbit by corerising, on Flickr

[SkyscraperSuperman]

Haha, nice shots CR. I can't wait until they tidy up the observation deck, it'll look much better.

[Core Rising]

Cheers. We are still looking at an unfinnished product. The observation deck is a mess, might be better when its all done.

[SkyscraperSuperman]

Indeed - I got a few shots of it yesterday when I was there, just uploading them to an image hosting site first. I've always liked the Orbit - obviously as you say, the upper section does need sorting out...but I'm really looking forward to seeing it 100% complete!

[SkyscraperSuperman]

A few from yesterday - 2 from Westfield and 2 from an Overground train:

[ill tonkso]

Oxo, be quiet. You can voice your distaste for the building if you wish - I am no fan either - but respect the opinions of others please.

[annamaria4711]

A mess from whatever angle you try and look at it from.

I think they should ask Christo to wrap it up and we should have had a Gormley... to me a dynamic figurative piece celebrating the physical body at an event where mankind pushes their physical abilities to the extreme...or alternatively had small human scale figurative Gormley's dotted around the park.... along side the beautiful landscaping of the park we could have a small urban sculpture park

[RobH]

I think Mittal wanted something big so the small figures wouldn't have been an option. Besides which, Berlin sort of already did that in 1936, and the status are quite controversial. I'm not sure a London version of these sort of statues would necessarily be the best route to go down

http://warwitness.e2bn.org/resource_31.html

Gormley did put an entry in for a giant figure. But I'm glad it didn't win. I just think something too figurative and literal wouldn't have fitted into this landscape - certainly not on this scale, I think it would look terrifying. And having a giant head peaking into the stadium bowl would have been very weird for spectators.

Choosing a quirky Kapoor structure was probably the right decision. But the standard of execution of this isn't what I would have hoped for, and as I've said before that's mainly to do with its architectural elements rather than the art. Given that I think this artwork was always going to be a viewing tower, whatever was built could've faced the same problems sadly.

[Mr.Underground]

Cheers from Stratford.

A photo taken by me:

[Mr.Underground]

[oxo]

Originally Posted by ill tonkso

Oxo, be quiet. You can voice your distaste for the building if you wish - I am no fan either - but respect the opinions of others please.

I actually share his dislike for the Tower but struggle to understand the sentences Rob H uses to describe it such as:

A mathematically interesting idea (by way of consolation?). ???
A necessary architecture that's not kind on the eyes. ???
Heavy conspicuous architecture... that let's down the art. ???

Wtf is he on about?

[oxo]

Originally Posted by Core Rising

Cheers. We are still looking at an unfinnished product. The observation deck is a mess, might be better when its all done.

Really?
And there was me thinking that it looks rubbish without realising its not quite finished yet.

[RobH]

Originally Posted by oxo

Can't you just cut to the quick and leave all the waffle out?
The Orbit is crap, end of - doesn't even deserve justification for its rubbishness.

Rather like a certain member's posts.

Actually, if I'm going to say I don't like something I'd rather justify why than come across as a troll. And actually, with the Oribt I think there is enough substance there for some justification anyway.

Originally Posted by oxo

I actually share his dislike for the Tower but struggle to understand the sentences Rob H uses to describe it such as:

A mathematically interesting idea (by way of consolation?). ???
A necessary architecture that's not kind on the eyes. ???
Heavy conspicuous architecture... that let's down the art. ???

Wtf is he on about?

Don't like big words eh? I don't think I could've made that post any clearer and am not going to try for your benefit since you can't be bothered to ask for clarity like a normal person would. Nobody else seemed to have a problem with my opinion or with that post.

But then again you spent two pages accusing me of trying to profit from 2012 tickets when I merely pointed out a sale was on so this is hardly the first time you have had trouble with comprehension is it?

[oxo]

Its not about big words because you are not using them.

I respect your opinion and you are obviously an intelligent fellow
in your own way but I just don't understand why the Orbit Tower is
a ''necessary'' and ''conspicuous'' architecture with a mathematically
interesting idea, albeit heavy and therefore a disappointment to art.

[littleboxes]

I feel the viewing platform on top of the work of art is not completing a cohesive whole. The main form of the sculpture is interesting but sadly the viewing platform does not "flow" from the form but sits uncomfortably on top. If the main "trumpet" of the piece rose to enclose the viewing platform I would feel happier with it. The viewing area has a utilitarian quality that feels as if the money run out before the piece could be brought to a happier conclusion. As a lover of the early Kapoor sculptures I feel sad that we did not end up with something as magical as these. Perhaps something comparable to the beautiful work that he did in Chicago called "Cloud Gate" would have been inspirational. Kapoor may be able to pull something "out of the hat" at the last moment. We will have to wait and see. It may all be in the lighting and the final effect. But at least we tried to do something original.

[DarJoLe]

Well, proof if anything of where Kapoor ended and Cecil Balmond took over.

[joez14]

"First look at the huge canopy being installed, 18m wide 20 tonnes heavy":

https://twitter.com/AMOrbit/statuses/190738571450265601

hmmmm...?