ArcelorMittal Orbit / Anish Kapoor & Cecil Balmond

Authors: Anish Kapoor & Cecil Balmond
Location: Olympics B+B, Omega Works, 4 Roach Rd, London, Greater London E3 2LX, UK
Project Year: 2012
Project Area: 114.5 sqm
Photographs: Gautier Deblonde, Courtesy of ArcelorMittal

The ArcelorMittal Orbit is the first public artwork by Anish Kapoor to be lit. Arup’s lighting team has worked closely with Kapoor and Cecil Balmond to create a lighting scheme that will highlight the sculpture’s complex geometric form.

The feature lighting scheme encourages visitors into the Park and the ArcelorMittal Orbit by creating a “must see” element to the sculpture at night. The scheme will play an integral part in the lighting and atmosphere of the Olympic Games with the sculpture lit up in a variety of modes for different events and times of day. Beyond The Games, visitors will also experience the metaphor of an orbit after dark; using light to unravel the sculpture’s convoluted form and to grasp its dynamic shape. Arup Lighting Director Florence Lam refers to their approach as using “dark light”.

Sustainability has been a critical factor in Arup’s thinking. Arup Lighting’s choice of saturated red LED (light emitting diode) lighting accentuates the bespoke red specified by Kapoor for the sculpture.  The lighting scheme achieves maximum theatrical visual impact yet consumes less energy than white light. LEDs emit zero UV light, which would otherwise disturb wild-life in the vicinity, for example, moths and bats.

Arup’s lighting designers, structural engineers and the architects collaborated closely to ensure that the light projectors are all discreetly located within the structure and carefully focused and aimed to minimise light spill onto the ecologically sensitive area of the river corridor and limit sky glow.

Sophisticated lighting software, RADIANCE, was employed to analyse and predict the lighting distribution over the sculpture and its surroundings to ensure full compliance with the ODA lighting strategy.

Arup’s Electrical and Mechanical Engineers worked with the firm’s lighting designers to integrate all services in a way that has ensured that all cables and wirings are invisible.

The result is a cohesive, energy efficient and aesthetically attuned lighting project demonstrating how artists and engineers can collaborate creatively and effectively on major, and challenging artworks in public spaces.