LONDON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- A 375-foot tall sculpture set for London's Olympic Park could attract 1 million visitors a year after the 2012 games are over, officials said.
The snaking steel tower, designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond -- which has been described as Britain's biggest piece of public art -- is being feted as London's answer to the Eiffel tower. The Olympic Park Legacy Co. says the tower will become one of London's most popular attractions, The Guardian reported Friday.
Andrew Altman, chief executive of the OPLC says he plans to offer commercial operators 10-year leases to run park venues after the games conclude. Altman projects a revenue stream of around $16 million a year through ticket sales, catering, private functions, retail and merchandise.
A profit sharing plan will reroute a portion of funds into the upkeep of the park and staging events, The Guardian said.
"You've got two platforms at 80 meters (260 feet) high that will have gallery space, cafe space, banqueting space. There could be corporate use, community use, a gallery. It will be different in the daytime and the night time," Altman said.
The tower -- which has not been named but which London Mayor Boris Johnson has unofficially referred to as the "mutant trombone" and "hubble bubble" -- has its critics. Some say it destroys the views over the park.
