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ArcellorMittal Orbit, that enormous curly-wurly red structure in Olympic Park, is famous for its tunnel slide. But even though it’s the longest tunnel slide in the entire world, the ride hasn’t been enough to draw in anywhere near the number of visitors predicted for the Orbit when it was built back in 2012. Perhaps a zipwire will do the trick?
Welsh adventure brand Zip World took over operations of the ArcellorMittal Orbit last September, promising to transform it into a ‘European first-of-its-kind adventure’. Now (as you may have predicted from the brand’s name) it has proposed attaching a zipwire to the structure.
According to Zip World’s planning application, the new ride would be a switchback zipwire, meaning that riders will be in a chair that transports them from a platform at the top of the Orbit, then escorts them back up again. It would span 440m, and zoom over the main walkway that sports and music fans take into the neighbouring London Stadium. The Orbit is the tallest sculpture in the UK, stretching even further towards the sky than the Statue of Liberty, so you can count of getting some brilliant views.
Before it goes ahead, the attraction has to get permission from both Tower Hamlets and Newham councils as the line crosses the River Lea and stretches across both boroughs – the Orbit is in Newham while the necessary 39m return tower would be in Tower Hamlets.
Councillors in Tower Hamlets are due to consider the planning application for the tower on Wednesday, October 22, but the launch platform that needs to be attached to the Orbit is still pending consideration from Newham councillors.
If everything goes as planned, ZipWorld reckons that the upgrade would bring an extra 60,000 visitors to the tower each year.
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