ArcelorMittal Orbit

The blog of Simon Kennedy, Architectural Photographer based in London. My website is www.simonkennedy.net

I was commissioned recently by Kathryn Findlay of Ushida Findlay Architects to photograph the architecture of the extraordinary ArcelorMittal Orbit, a showpiece structure in the middle of the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Designed in it’s initial form by artist Anish Kapoor and structural engineer Cecil Balmond, Ushida Findlay Architects were responsible for the architectural components, including the staircase, observation decks with amazing views over London and the 2012 Olympic park, and the entrance pavilion, next to Anish Kapoors impressive Cor-ten steel “Bell”.

The Orbit is well worth a visit, the staircase intertwined with the dynamic red-painted steel structural elements is a particularly enjoyable architectural experience, and the architecture of the observation decks is elegantly minimal.

(Architectural photography completed over two days, all images copyright Simon Kennedy. If you wish to use any of these images for any purpose please email me at info@simonkennedy.net.)

 

001 The Orbit – this image made the front cover of the Architect’s Journal.

001-architects-journal-front-cover-orbit-ushida-findlay-anish-kapoor

 

002 Looking up at the impressive towering form of the AncelorMittal Orbit:

002-arcelormittal-orbit

 

003 The Orbit, part of the London Olympic Park, a showpiece for the 2012 Olympic games:

003-london-olympic-park-orbit

 

004 Artist Anish Kapoor’s Orbit

004-anish-kapoor-orbit

 

005 Architectural photography showing views from the Orbit of the Olympic park and over to Canary Wharf.

005-architectural-photography-london-olympic-park

 

006 View from Anish Kapoor’s Orbit

006-anish-kapoor-orbit

 

007 The Orbit provides views across London, the Shard is visible in this shot:

007-orbit-view-architecture

 

008 Maintenance walkway near the top:

008-maintenance-walkway-architectural-photography

 

009 Architectural photography of the interior:

009-orbit-interior-architectural-photographer

 

010 The Ushida Findlay Architects-designed interior of the observation deck, showing the central atrium or annulus.

010-ushida-findlay-orbit-annulus

 

011 Further shots of the observation deck:

011-anish-kapoor-ushida-findlay-cecil-balmond-orbit

 

012 Architectural photography of the interior of Orbit:

012-architecture-of-orbit-interior

 

013 Orbit interior showing metal panelling:

013-orbit-interior-steel-cladding

 

014 Photograph showing glazing of annulus:

014-orbit-glazing-arcelormitta-annulusl

 

015 Metal cladding to the annulus designed by Ushida Findlay Architects:

015-orbit-metal-cladding-architecure

 

016 Architectural photography of the orbit

016-architectural-photography-london-olympics-orbit-annulus

 

017 Metal cladding of the annulus:

017-orbit-metal-cladding

 

018 Architectural photography of the annulus:

018-annulus-architecture-photograph-london-olympics-2012

 

020 The Orbit, London.

020-orbit-photography-london-architecture

 

021 Interior photography of the ArcelorMittal Orbit:

021-london-olympics-orbit-architectural-photography

 

022 The Orbit interior:

022-anish-kapoor-orbit

 

023 Interior showing views across london:

023-orbit-architecture-ushida-findlay-anish-kapoor-interior

 

024 View from the upper observation deck of the Orbit:

024-view-from-orbit-upper-observation-deck

 

025 The Orbit upper observation deck:

025-orbit-upper-observation-deck

 

026 View over the 2012 Olympic Park and over London:

026-view-london-olympic-park-from-orbit

 

027 Architectural Photography of the interior of the lower observation deck of the Orbit:

027-orbit-interior-photograph-lower-observation-deck-architecture

 

028 View from the lower observation deck:

028-orbit-view-from-lower-observation-deck

 

029: Canary Wharf clearly visible through the dynamic red steel structure:

029-canary-wharf-from-orbit

 

030 Architectural photography of the Orbit, London:

030-architectural-photography-orbit-london

 

031: Anish Kapoor, Cecil Balmond and Ushida Findlay‘s ArcelorMittal Orbit, Olympic Park, London:

031-olympic-park-london-anish-kapoor-orbit

 

032 Photograph of the annulus:

032-orbit-architectural-photograph-annulus

 

033 Anish Kapoor’s canopy, made from Cor-ten steel:

033-Anish-kapoor-orbit-bell-cor-ten

 

034 Looking up into the roof of Anish Kapoor’s “Bell-like” canopy:

034-anish-kapoor-bell

 

035 The Canopy:

035-anish-kapoor-bell-orbit-london-olympics-2012

 

036 The Cor-ten Canopy:

036-orbit-cor-ten

 

037 The Cor-ten Canopy:

037-anish-kapoor-cor-ten-london-architectural-photographer

 

038 Architectural detail:

038-orbit-cor-ten-architectural-detail-photograph

 

039 Anish Kapoor’s Orbit:

039-orbit-anish-kapoor

 

040 Ushida Findlay Architects expressive staircase which wraps around the Orbit:

040-orbit-staircase-ushida-findlay

 

041 London 2012 Olympics Orbit staircase:

041-london-olympics-2012-orbit-staircase

 

042: Ushida Findlay’s staircase:

042-ushida-findlay-london

 

043 The Orbit photographed by London Architectural Photographer Simon Kennedy:

043-london-architectural-photographer-orbit

 

044 Architectural Photography of the staircase:

044-staircase-architectural-photography

046 The staircase to Anish Kapoor’s Orbit:

046-anish-kapoor-orbit-staircase

 

047 ArcelorMittal Orbit staircase:

047-orbit-staircase-london-olympics

 

048 Architectural photography of the staircase:

048-architectural-photography-of-staircase

 

049 Orbit

049-orbit-london-architectural-photographer-simon-kennedy

 

050 Orbit staircase, overall structural design by Cecil Balmond:

050-orbit-staircase-cecil-balmond

 

051 London Orbit:

051-orbit-london

 

052 Architectural Photography of the Orbit staircase, designed by Ushida Findlay:

052-orbit-staircase-ushida-findlay-london-architectural-photography

 

053 Orbit staircase, London:

053-orbit-staircase-london

 

054 Architectural photography of the staircase:

054-anish-kapoor-orbit

 

055 The staircase, showing the stainless steel mesh cladding and the red steel main structure:

055-cecil-balmond-orbit-staircase

 

056 The ArcelorMittal Orbit staircase:

056-orbit-staircase

 

057 Looking up through the Anish Kapoor steel work to the underside of the staircase:

057-orbit-steel-anish-kapoor

 

058 View of the steel work, Orbit, London 2012:

058-steelwork-orbit-london

 

059 Looking down onto the top of the Bell:

059-bell-steel-orbit

 

061 Steel mesh in the Orbit staircase:

061-orbit-staircase

 

062 The staircase becomes a ramp toward the bottom:

062-orbit-staircase-anish-kapoor

 

063: The Orbit in the wider context of the Olympic Park:

063-orbit-olympic-park

 

064 Anish Kapoor‘s Orbit in the evening sun:

064-orbit-anish-kapoor

 

065 Orbit:

065-orbit-anish-kapoor

 

066 ArcelorMittal Orbit:

066-arcelormittal-orbit

 

067 Cecil Balmond collaborated on the design:

067-cecil-balmond-orbit-london-olympics-2012

 

068 Orbit is part of the 2012 London Olympics:

068-london-olympics-orbit

 

069 Architectural Photography of the Orbit, London:

069-orbit-london

 

070 The Orbit in the wider context of the Olympic Park, also showing the Olympic stadium:

070-london-olympic-stadium-orbit-2012

 

070 The Orbit in the wider context of the Olympic Park, also showing the Olympic stadium:

071-london-olympic-park-stadium-orbit

 

072 Architectural Photography of the Orbit and the Olympic Stadium:

072-orbit-olympic-stadium-architectural-photography

 

073 A close view:

073-anish-kapoor-orbit

 

074 Anish Kapoor Orbit:

074-anish-kapoor-orbit

 

075 This photograph was also printed in the Architect’s Journal:

075-orbit-architects-journal

 

076 Sunset view:

076-anish-kapoor-orbit-sunset

 

077 Architectural photography of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, architecture by Ushida Findlay:

077-ushida-findlay-orbit-london-architectural-photography

 

078 The structure is lit up as night falls:

078-orbit-anish-kapoor-architectural-photography

 

079 Orbit designed in collaboration with Cecil Balmond:

079-orbit-cecil-balmond

 

080 Photography by Simon Kennedy:

080-london-architectural-photographer

 

081 London 2012 Orbit:

081-london-2012-orbit

 

082 With the Olympic Stadium:

082-olympic-stadium

 

083:

083-architectural-photography-orbit-london-anish-kapoor-olympics

 

084 Orbit with the Olympic Stadium:

084-london-olympic-stadium-orbit

 

085 The structure glows red at night:

085-orbit-night-anish-kapoor

 

086 Photography of the Orbit at night:

086-orbit-architectural-photography-night

 

This is the blog of Simon Kennedy, London Architectural Photographer. If you would like to see more of my work, please visit www.simonkennedy.net