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London 2012 Olympic Cauldron...


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Who cares if "imposing" means just above or just below the floodlights. It just is. Like having someone at your dinner party standing behind you, or someone with their face pressed up against the window.

It looks like a structure that is some distance away from the stadium, not directly outside it. It's look peripheral. Only the top third of it or less is visible from within the stadium and the stadium's most distinctive feature from within - it's floodlights - tower well past it. And this is from the far end of the stadium as seen in the above picture; the Orbit only gets more obstructed by the stadium's roof and floodlights the closer you get to it.

So no, I'd hardly call it "imposing." There's no objective way to label things as "imposing" or not, but this is my opinion based on logic and why I can rule out the Orbit as the location of London's cauldron.

And considering how ugly it is, the Orbit is lucky to have any role in the ceremony if you ask me.

*I shouldn't say based on logic, but rather my opinion based on observation.

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Came across this short article from the 26/4/2012 issue of Architect's Journal (AJ). Sounds like the cauldron location is indeed on the northern end of the stadium as speculated/ shown in the planning drawing. 'Unattached gas pipes' seem like pretty conclusive evidence to me now.

skmbtc22012051711050.jpg

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The site is in lockdown now till the Games. I think contruction photos from now will be at a premium. Obviously if they build another tower they can't hide that, but subtle things like gas piplines aren't going to be easy to spot unless we get new shots from LOCOG, which I think is unlikely.

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When he says 'directly opposite where the VIPs will sit', I suppose he didn't mean that circular patch of garden across the river? Cos' that cleared land is directly opposite compare to the northern bridge entrance indicated in the planning dwg.

Either case, if the cauldron location is indeed at at this northern compound, the question now is what kind of design it will be and how is the flame going to be transferred from the ceremony.

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This is confusing. The VIP stands are situated in the west, right? That's where also the 100 metres finish line is.

So how can the northern end of the stadium (where the tour guide supposedly stood) be "directly opposite" the VIP stands? Therefore, he must either stood at the eastern end of the stadium or he stood at the northern end but his statement of being "directly opposite where the VIPs sit" is wrong.

Furthermore, the guide apparently stood in and talked about an area inside the stadium, not outside.

So it actually only confirms that they installed gas pipes also inside the stadium, but not whether they will use them for the cauldron. I'd find it also strange if they installed a cauldron in the east of the stadium (that's the Orbit side of the stadium, by the way ;)). In recent editions of the Summer Games, they always installed the cauldron in or near the area of the stadium where the athletics track makes a bend, in London's case that would be the northern or the southern end.

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Since Barcelona, the cauldron has always been located so that the VIP's have had to look somewhat to their left to see it. If this continues in London, the cauldron would indeed be on the northern end or half of the stadium.

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Whether inside or outside is still contentious. I still read it as where the VIP sits 'inside the hospitality pavilion', which is indeed opposite the alleged outside northern compound. Either way, it is almost a certainty that the cauldron will be something that's fixed and most probably lit at ground level and not on the roof.

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This is it, folks. Documents have leaked .

Londoncauldron2.jpg

... just kidding. I found my old proposal from GB's cauldron competition that incorporated incredibly strong invisible stairs made from a rare element only found on Avatar's Pandora. :lol:

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Whether inside or outside is still contentious. I still read it as where the VIP sits 'inside the hospitality pavilion', which is indeed opposite the alleged outside northern compound. Either way, it is almost a certainty that the cauldron will be something that's fixed and most probably lit at ground level and not on the roof.

I don't know why he should refer to the hospitality pavilion while this won't be the place the VIPs will sit during the cauldron lighting. He most probably rather meant that from their stands, the VIPs will see the cauldron lit exactly at the opposite side of the stadium.

And I wouldn't say that the cauldron necessarily has to be lit at ground level just because there are gas pipes in the ground. In a cauldron tower, those pipes would lead upwards and therefore the cauldron could be lit also at the top of the tower.

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Ok dont know who just saw the one show, where the olympic flame arrived in the UK. Seb coe was asked about the lighting of the cauldron. Didnt talk for long but I think he said he had seen diagrams or a schematic of how it will be lit but he wasnt giving anything away.

Total speculation, but seeing diagrams of how it will be lit suggests something a bit more complicated than a simple walk up and light it!

Im sure there will be a video of this interview posted soon enough.

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That's right. I think he denied having seen any rehearsals yet, but when asked about having seen any diagrams he said 'maybe', and when asked if he had seen a storyboard he gave the same response. However curious I am, I hope nothing of this sort leaks -- they're doing a pretty fine job of keeping it all under wraps so far.

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Oh I didn't realise! I don't really mind where it is as long as the lighting is spectacular. However it must be near or on the stadium, but not in it

Plus I also watched the one show today and was very excited when they mentioned the cauldron and he kept replying "maybe" incredibly frustrating!

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It'll be very exciting and interesting if come the beginning or middle of July, nothing that could be a cauldron has begun construction anywhere outside the stadium.

Not knowing how the cauldron look likes would be a first since Sydney.

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