heatherwick studio: 2012 london olympics cauldron

2012 london olympics cauldron designed by thomas heatherwick
lighting rehearsal – starting point from which the torch bearers ignite the cauldron
image: LOCOG / olympic opening ceremony tumblr

the highly anticipated 2012 olympics cauldron designed by thomas heatherwick was finally revealed at yesterday’s opening ceremony. the dandelion-like design, is composed from 204 petals (each representing a competing nation), which are attached to levered stems that pump natural gas to each petal. the stems gently rise from the ground upwards and converge to form ‘one great flame of unity’ – representative of the transitory togetherness that is embodied in the olympic games.

the london 2012 olympic cauldron being lit
video via

2012 london olympics cauldron – lighting rehearsal – stems which pump natural gas to the petals rising upward
image: LOCOG / olympic opening ceremony tumblr

2012 london olympics cauldron – lighting rehearsal – the flaming petals converge to form one united flame 
image: LOCOG / olympic opening ceremony tumblr

2012 london olympics cauldron – by thomas heatherwick
image: LOCOG / olympic opening ceremony tumblr

heatherwick’s cauldron will be moved within the stadium to where the opening ceremony bell was, a reference to the position of the cauldron at the 1948 london games. at the end of the games, each team will take their petal home and the london 2012 cauldron will cease to exist.

2012 london olympics cauldron – each of the 204 copper petals represents one of the competing nations 
image: LOCOG / olympic opening ceremony tumblr

2012 london olympics cauldron – each of the 204 copper petals are inscribed with the name of the country and ‘the XXX olympiad – london 2012”
image: LOCOG / olympic opening ceremony tumblr

2012 london olympics cauldron – the mechanism which lifts the stems
image: LOCOG / olympic opening ceremony tumblr

‘we were aware cauldrons had been getting bigger, higher, fatter as each olympics happened and we felt we shouldn’t try to be even bigger than the last ones. this incredible event has 204 nations coming together, so we had a child from each country bringing these copper polished objects in. at the end of the games, this cauldron will dismantle itself and radiate back down to the ground and each of those copper pieces take away by each nation and put in their national olympic cabinet.’ – thomas heatherwick

floor plan / level 0
image © heatherwick studio

elevation
image © heatherwick studio

thomas heatherwick
image © rosie hallam

olympic cauldrons of years past
top row: 1976 (montreal, canada); 2010 (vancouver, canada); 2004 (athens, greece)
bottom: 2002 (salt lake city, USA); 2000 (sydney, australia); 1992 (barcelona, spain)

‘thomas heatherwick: making‘ by thomas heatherwick is published by thames & hudson on 28 may 2012, £38.00 plc
‘heatherwick studio: designing the extraordinary’, sponsored by ernst & young, will be at the V&A from 31 may – 30 september 2012