Jump to content

Buddy_LeChat

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    34

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Buddy_LeChat

  2. Rio 2016 Olympic Cauldron

    in Rio 2016 Ceremonies Discussions

    Posted

    1 hour ago, baron-pierreIV said:

    Indeed, it's not an original design and it has NOTHING to do with the flame.  It's just an extra appendage-ornament beside a flame.  

    From various sources around the web:

    • Brazilian officials wanted this cauldron smaller than most, a reminder to reduce global warming caused by fossil fuels and greenhouse gases.
    • Andrucha Waddington, one of the opening ceremony's creative directors, explained that the design (the kinetic structure) reflects the Olympic flame, which only requires a small amount of gas.

    So the kinetic structure (aka The Sun) is there to reflect and amplify the cauldron's flame. And I do think it does job if pretty good way. The effect was awesome.

     

  3. Rio 2016 Olympic Cauldron

    in Rio 2016 Ceremonies Discussions

    Posted

    2 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

    Here's the thing.  The stadium piece with the small bowl (as indicated above by Buddy) was made with fiberglass and faux chrome to keep it as light as possible (and was not built for eternity).  That plus the armature plus the smaller bowl were, unless Buddy corrects me, the purview of ShowCanada's job.  

    Guys, I will stay away of all political/economical or other unrelated matters. Our focus was to realize this awesome mechanical structure, giving it the best possible look and doing it on time.

    One achievement we did was that the structure had to be hanged, resist a certain wind speed (don't recall the number), turn in both directions up to 5 rpm with variable speed control and within an overall dimension from disc to disc of approx 40 feet (12 m). So we had to be creative and use various types of regular materials to keep the weight at around 6000 pounds (2700 kg). And all of this within a normal budget. So no exotic materials here but a mix of steel, aluminum, brass, fiberglass & pvc, which are all durable materials in my book! Look at your car.

    You may think it was not built for eternity but it was constructed to be shown in all ceremonies and meet the specifications of the request for proposal. As for the "faux chrome" effect, it's not fake at all and was quite a challenge!

    Add to this that you need to ship the equipment and be able to fit it in regular containers... All of this in 2.5 months.

    As for the small flame bowl, we were not related to it, only the kinetic structure.

    • Like 1

  4. Rio 2016 Olympic Cauldron

    in Rio 2016 Ceremonies Discussions

    Posted

    It's a mix of steel, brass, aluminum and fiberglass... And sweat... Weight is somewhere in the 6000 pounds (2721 kg). Then you need to had the bracket for the trolley.

    Sweating bullets... Would mostly say... sweating "chrome paint"... As it was quite a challenge to get it done right! And in a timely manner.

    And regarding the "coming back home" it is a contractual item that I'm not involved with.

    • Like 1

  5. Rio 2016 Olympic Cauldron

    in Rio 2016 Ceremonies Discussions

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, paul said:

    How was it shipped and did you go to install it?

    Also, what was the biggest challenge in production?

    Thank you for adding your insight in the forum it's pretty cool to hear about it form someone close to the production.

    Shipped by regular 40 foot containers. We used 2. the main ring can be broke in 4 parts. 30 bushings with 4 arms per bushing for a total of 120 arms. 4 spheres per arms with a disc at the extremity. 2 electrical motors to power the mechanism. I'll stop here as I would have to give the whole set of drawings... :-P

    Biggest challenge: chrome paint (480 spheres total for the strucure all made of fiberglass)... and time! :-P Did I say time? But the Paralympics project was even crazier as for schedule...

    1 minute ago, baron-pierreIV said:

    So, Buddy_LeChat, was there a prima donna producer (Ballich?  Mereilles? Tomas?) who threw fits and tantrums when a screw came loose or the flame did not burn in the desired way?  

    Where will the stadium sculpture go after the Games?   (To a Rio museum?)  

    We had not interaction with the producers but did met and talk a lot with the artist, Anthony Howe. A cool guy by the way.

    About the "lose screw", you are well informed!!! lol... My 2 guys on site were pretty stressed but we made it work for the ceremony! They did an awesome job. As for the flame, we had no link to it.

    Everything is coming back home... Still no idea of what will happen with the kinetic structure.

    • Like 2

  6. Rio 2016 Olympic Cauldron

    in Rio 2016 Ceremonies Discussions

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

    But that was just a separate contractor for the installation, right?  I mean you still crafted the outdoor sculpture, too -- and just delivered it to them??

    We only crafted the one in the Stadium. We did not get the outside one. I think it was built in Brazil.

    1 minute ago, Ikarus360 said:

    Show Canada Industries seem to also have been involved in the Doha 2006 cauldron (its shown on their  website). No wonder why the Rio one looks so similar to it. 

    Yes, we did the Doha one. I was not working for them back then. But they are mechanically quite different.

×
×
  • Create New...