rio2016man Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Beijing had a gymnast racing urgently round the stadium roof. Sydney had Cathy Freeman lighting the cauldron through a wall of water. Barcelona had an archer shooting a flaming arrow across the sky London had ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Beijing had a gymnast racing urgently round the stadium roof. Sydney had Cathy Freeman lighting the cauldron through a wall of water. Barcelona had an archer shooting a flaming arrow across the sky London had ? A rower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul65 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thanks Olympian. It was a friend of mine on the bus tour so I'm getting vague information second hand sadly.There was no indication whether the cauldron was outside the stadium or sitting on the roof (or even suspended between the four lighting gantries mentioned). Sorry. I'm not a subscriber to the Architects' Journal but somehow I managed to get behind the paywall on Saturday morning and so thought it was worthy of posting the info from there. From memory the attachments gave absolutely nothing away - they were simply general pics of the park. I agree with you on the height range quoted in the article. 150 metres is massive and not realistic. Looks like they are being deliberately ambiguous so as not to give too much away. Re - wood fuelled. Maybe they are installing a wood pellet burner somewhere? LOL I really have no idea how they are going to hide everything until the opening ceremony. I'm over in the Olympic Park (for Games Maker training) on Sat 23 June so I'll see what I can photograph from ground level which might heed some clues. Very interesting information, Paul. Thanks and welcome! Two questions: 1) So did they talk about a cauldron tower outside the stadium on that bus tour or about a cauldron sitting on the stadium's roof? If the latter is the case, the position you describe probably is the one near the bridge in the northeast of the stadium, between that row of four catering pods in the north east and the block eight catering pods in the north. 2) Are you a subscriber to the Architects' Journal? It's because I can't open that article, only subscribers can do that. I was curious about the attachments they mention in the article. However, very interesting information as well -- even if there are two strange things in it: First, they mention a height of the cauldron between 70 and 150 metres, which is a strangely huge span. But at least now I know where that information came from about a cauldron tower being 150 metres high -- I picked that up in the SkycraperCity forum last year. 150 metres is huge, though, and not very realistic. And the second strange thing is that they say that the cauldron won't be unveiled before the Games' opening day. So how does one want to hide a big tower unless it's built on opening day itself or is hidden in the ground? I also have some doubts about the flame fuelled by wood. How do they want to manage that? They would have to constantly put wood in the cauldron's bowl. Highly improbable. Gas has the advantage that you can stream it automatically into the bowl and that it has a constant flow, therefore creating a constantly big flame. Here's the picture I actually wanted to post with that: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorchbearerAA Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 They didn't have a torch relay for the Winter Games before Oslo 1952, They did have a Torch Relay for the Winter Games in 1952, it was the first winter toch relay ever! So strage to say there was no torch relay. The flame was nog lighted in Olympia but in Norway, in the hearth of the cabin belonging to Sondre Norheim (1825-1897), the Norwegian skiing pioneer, in Morgedal in the province of Telemark. The torch relay was 225 kms and in total 92 skiers carried the torch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiroamorim Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 And the second strange thing is that they say that the cauldron won't be unveiled before the Games' opening day. So how does one want to hide a big tower unless it's built on opening day itself or is hidden in the ground? Well the cauldron could emerge from the ground like we saw at Sydney caudron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul65 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 There's a load of London 2012 Park and Stadium aerial images from Getty over at http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr160912711 These were taken in December 2011 so you can see what has changed around the stadium since then by comparing the Getty ones with with the current ones from Jason Hawkes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 They did have a Torch Relay for the Winter Games in 1952, it was the first winter toch relay ever! That was actually what I said: "They didn't have a torch relay for the Winter Games before Oslo 1952", that means: They didn't have torch relay at all Winter Games editions preceding the Oslo Games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul65 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I'm not sure if the stadium at various stages of construction will yield any cauldron clues but the numerous photo sets by Andy Wilkes (Official BTStoryteller) might be worth looking at. The flickr link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywilkes/sets/ His blog 'Life Inside the London 2012 Olympic Park' is http://insidelondon2012.blogspot.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bra'tac Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 This is what was under the pod.... The strange thing is that now the 2 pods are jointed ! What is that inconspicuous blue tent standing in the middle of a circle in the ground? Ideas? And why is the floor of the pod to the right of the tent different from the pods at the top? Something seems afoot. And such a structure would require a sizable foundation to support it. Again, look at the big hole Torino had to dig up in order to hold its cauldron tower's foundation. With over a month and a half left until they begin on-site rehearsals, there is no evidence that a foundation for a tall structure is being built in that area. We see some minor activity but nothing to suggest that anything big is being built from the ground up. The foundation could have been built during general construction. It seems like they've planned ahead quite a bit, so I suspect the foundation is ready and waiting for whatever Heatherwick throws at it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY20?? Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 The foundation could have been built during general construction. It seems like they've planned ahead quite a bit, so I suspect the foundation is ready and waiting for whatever Heatherwick throws at it. That's certainty possible, though I do feel like a big hole would've been noticed during general construction. Someone should try and get old construction pictures of specifically that northern end of the stadium and post them. I'll try to find some tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul65 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 We now know what is going on top of that stage at the northern end of the stadium. (From the BBC News story 'London 2012: Olympics opening ceremony details revealed') Its that small circular podium above that larger circular stage structure in the Northern stands that I was referring to, not the circle in the centre of the arena. That small circular podium in the Northern stands, as shown below, reminds me of the one that rose vertically upwards during the Sydney Closing Ceremony and brought Nikki Webster up and close to the Cauldron. If the London Cauldron structure was outside the Stadium, or even cantilevered from outside the northern end of the stadium and 'floating' over and above the centre of the stadium (see Paul65's post), then in these cases the final torchbearer is probably going to have to be in an elevated position in order to light it directly or some sort of fuse device leading to it. The gaps in the flying wires network appear to be bigger at the outer edge of the stadium, ie possibly directly above that stage in the northern stands just in front of the jumbotron and scoreboard. Here's a slightly higher rez pic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul65 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 The tree on the hill is in place inside the stadium at the northern end. What could be under it (if anything?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 We now know what is going on top of that stage at the northern end of the stadium. (From the BBC News story 'London 2012: Olympics opening ceremony details revealed') Here's a slightly higher rez pic. Very cool. British and DIFFERENT. The Brits are great at stage design. I'm glad to see they're coming through... The black globe is weird looking. The layout also suggests to me that the parade of nations won't go all the way around the stadium. I just figured it out-- it's not a globe, it's just a clip light in the model. Oops. The way the hill and meadow join, however it doesnt look like you can walk ALL the way around the stadium.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I just figured it out-- it's not a globe, it's just a clip light in the model. Sorry, that made me laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baptista Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Do you think this tree could turn in the cauldron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Sorry, that made me laugh! That's ok. It really looked like a giant black sphere in one of the pics though! Glad it's not really part of the design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissO Posted June 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HJPro Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 It's very different, but surely this will restrict what they can do during the ceremony, unless its removable or something (which seems unlikely). It is very British though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HJPro Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Oh never mind I found an article from the telegraph stating this staging will be removed during the ceremony and made way for other 'settings'. Seems promising! Plus I don't think the tree has anything to do with the cauldron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevzz Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Look at that mound under the tree. With that height and size, it is more than capable of hiding any cauldron underneath! I am placing my bet the tree will be removed at some point and the cauldron will come out from there. Or the tree will transform into a cauldron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDLondon Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 But we've seen what's under there a few days ago? Wasn't that the end of the stadium with the circular ironwork that we saw pics of a few days ago? But yes, it does feel possible - not least since it's not a tree on Glastonbury Tor but a tower - so surely there must be a secondary motive for making it a tree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY20?? Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 They Look at that mound under the tree. With that height and size, it is more than capable of hiding any cauldron underneath! I am placing my bet the tree will be removed at some point and the cauldron will come out from there. Or the tree will transform into a cauldron. There's definitely space there, but not for anything too big. So maybe these are the problems Heatherwick had to solve when designing the cauldron? 1. How to fit the cauldron underneath the mound and make it emerge from the small opening at the top where the tree stood? 2. Once out of the mound, how can the cauldron potentially transform into something bigger and more impressive? 3. And if the cauldron is not going to remain there during the Games, how can it be transported to another location? And there may be an altogether unsolvable problem with this location in that the stadium's roof would be right above the flame. They can't have a big flame burning underneath such a delicate fabric roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDLondon Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 And there may be an altogether unsolvable problem with this location in that the stadium's roof would be right above the flame. They can't have a big flame burning underneath such a delicate fabric roof. Good points. And it's quite close to the seats IIRC - if it does end up there, I'd suggest those spectators take a bag of marshmallows and a toasting fork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrisL93 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Amazing, slightly gutted that i gave into temptation but i would have found out about this idea sometime. I'm so glad they're including the national flowers in the ceremony, i remember years ago i wanted something like that to happen. I believe these flowers could possibly represent the olympic rings. Green hills, yellow daff, red rose, blue flax, and i'm pretty sure the thistle is dark enough to be the black ring as well judging by the prototype. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodrigo_dpc Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I was thinking about that purple flower. It is aligned with the path that goes directly to the tree and for me its shape is similar to some scultures made by Thomas Heatherwick. the guy that will design the cauldron. http://www.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article878862.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Olympics%2Bopening%2Bceremony%2Bdetails%2Brevealed http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_04/sculpture2410_468x321.jpg http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/49/4935/YOGHG00Z/posters/b-of-the-bang-manchester-architect-thomas-heatherwick-studio.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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