Carsten Höller to transform Anish Kapoor's Orbit Tower into world's tallest slide

London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will host a dramatic transformation of Anish Kapoor's ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower into a monumental slide designed by German artist Carsten Höller. The 178-meter long, 78-meter high slide will loop around the sculpture and observation tower, offering visitors a 40-second descent for an additional £5 fee. Originally created by the Turner Prize-winning Kapoor for the 2012 Olympics, the Orbit Tower faced criticism as a vanity project due to its £19.1 million production costs, which included £3.1 million of taxpayer money. Höller's involvement follows his current retrospective at the Hayward Gallery, which also features large-scale slides. The BBC reported that planning approval has been granted for what will become the world's longest and tallest slide. This conversion represents a significant reimagining of a structure that has been controversial since its inception. The project adds an interactive element to what was primarily an observation tower. Visitors will experience the artwork through physical engagement rather than passive viewing.