Brit Indian architect told to take Olympic tower back to drawing board

LONDON - Britain’s Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has asked Indian-origin architect Anil Kapoor to take his proposed “Arcelor-Mittal Orbit” back to the drawing board.

The 114-meter-tall tower, which is being designed for the 2012 Olympic Games in London at a cost of 19.1 million pounds, has been found faulty from an infrastructure point of view. A panel of experts has said that Kapoor has overlooked a number of issues in the tower’s structure, including how sewage pipes will be incorporated without compromising the overall aesthetics.

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe), which advises the Government on architecture and urban planning, published a review yesterday concluding that the sculpture’s design is “not yet resolved in sufficient detail to receive planning approval”.

CABE’s four-page critique has concluded that further work is required on the design of the entrance pavilion and power supply unit, as well as the tower’s two viewing platforms, two lifts, stairs and the way it integrates with the wider Olympic park. (ANI)