A six week consultation over the controversial Orbit tower has started. The tower, designed by Anish Kapoor, which will stand 115m high and cost an eye-watering £19m has already attracted criticism, especially from local residents who called the selection process ‘elitist’ and questioned the lack of consultation with them over the design.
Boris Johnson calls it ‘iconic and stunning’, but then he would – it won’t be dominating the skyline near his house. Others aren’t so generous and it now seems that those of us without Visa cards who want to watch the Olympics on TV in east London may find the picture less than perfect; a report to the Olympic Development Authority (ODA) suggests that the structure will have the unwelcome side effect of interfering with signal transmission to approximately 900 homes in the area.
The public exhibitions will be held at Stratford shopping centre from on 10 July (9am-5pm) and at the View Tube from on 11 July (10am-4pm). Visit www.london2010.com to view the full planning application.
