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This is the controversial ArcelorMittal Orbit, designed by artist Anish Kapoor and erected in the Olympic park to 鈥渁rouse the curiosity and wonder of Londoners鈥�. Kapoor won the project with this intriguing spiralling sculpture in a design competition initiated by London mayor Boris Johnson and the then culture secretary Tessa Jowell. The idea was to add a bit of wow factor to the Olympic site. (Read more on the scheme ).

Matthew Ashley鈥檚 verdict

鈥淗elter skelter鈥�, the first thought I had while looking at this piece for the first time. The architect Anish Kapoor has followed his usual style of design, creating unusual contemporary spaces for the user to get profound optical and emotional experiences.

鈥業鈥檓 sure I鈥檓 not the only one who feels baffled by this complex, curvy and metallic structure,鈥� Matthew Ashley

The meaning of the piece is lost to me, I鈥檓 sure I鈥檓 not the only one who feels baffled by this complex, curvy and metallic structure. The design was meant to rival that of the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and the Empire State. I see no comparison between this unstable Olympic Park 鈥渟pace filler鈥� and those great iconic sculptures. Therefore my opinion is that Kapoor has placed his mark upon Olympic Park but I do not think that this sculpture is the right choice for this prestigious area.

Adrian Cohen鈥檚 verdict

The thought that instantly came into my mind when hearing of this project was 鈥渓ack of purpose鈥�. Having observed the actual structure my mindset has not altered. Abstract and striking as it may be, symbolising a strong and daring feat in engineering, ArcelorMittal Orbit fails to live up to the expectations of rivalling great landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower.

The fact it was created in the mindset of  Boris Johnson - where he found the Olympic Park needed 鈥渟omething extra鈥� - highlights this absence of real purpose. The tower also seems to struggle to accompany the surroundings; its large twisting steel rings and non-linearity replicate that of an unstable atom.

And unstable it appears to be, which is why I see it fail in the race to create a cultural icon. Landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty or even the Giza Pyramids make bold statements, they do not confuse and they certainly weren鈥檛 sculpted with a purpose of needing 鈥渟omething extra鈥�.

Matthew Ashley and Adrian Cohen are architecture students at .