By next spring this dream will be a reality (Picture: LLDC)

Best. News. Ever.

Today is a great day, because today it’s been announced that the ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower (you know, that big sculpture that looks like a helter skelter) is going to be turned into the world’s tallest slide.

The sculpture – which was designed by Turner-prize winning artist Anish Kapoor – sits in the Olympic park, and at 114m is the UKs tallest sculpture.

The slide will start at the 80m point and spiral around the tower five times before a final 50m route down to the ground.


An architects impression of the slide add-on (Picture: Bblur Architects)

The descent will take about 40 seconds, and you’ll be travelling at an average speed will be six metres a second.



Oh, and there’ll be transparent sections on the slide, so you can marvel at the view. Gulp.

Sign us up (Picture: LLDC)

On the website for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park they explain: ‘The enclosed steel tube will wind its way in and out of the lattice work of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, twisting down to the ground as an alternative to the staircase.’

The ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower in numbers The Orbit Tower cost £22.3 million to build – £19.2 million was provided by Lakshmi Mittal of ArcelorMittal. 2000 tonnes of steel, 35,000 bolts and 19,000 litres of paint were used in its construction. Almost 60 per cent of the steel used was recycled. There are 250 colour spot lights on the structure – each can be individually controlled. It is 22 metres taller than the Statue of Liberty.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture dominates the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Picture: Steve Rose/Getty Images)

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Thrill seekers can already abseil down the tower at the cost of £85, but the team at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park have said that the slide – which is due to open in spring 2016 – will be a lot more affordable, hopefully costing just £5 a ride (whoop whoop!).

The impressive structure was designed by Turner prize-winner Anish Kapoor (Picture: LEON NEAL/AFP/GettyImages)

Peter Tudor, director of visitor services at the park, said: ‘What more exciting way to descend the ArcelorMittal Orbit than on the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide. This slide really will give a different perspective of Britain’s tallest sculpture.’

Basically nothing Peter. Basically nothing.

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MORE: There are plans to turn the Olympics Orbit tower into a giant helter skelter

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