London 2012 Olympic Cauldron...

[baron-pierreIV]

Get over it, people. The cauldron ain't gonna come out. It's fine with the IOC that it stays inside. It's fine with me. I won't be going to London anyway. And ya know, once you've seen that thing once, whats the the point of seeing it again??

[icannotseeit]

[kevzz]

Heatherwick said. “We felt that sharing it with the screens reinforces the intimacy.”

Another gem...

He seriously can't be serious saying that. That is a load of crap. I'm sorry I love his cauldron design but it failed on the ground of fitness for purpose. They had it in 1948 a small cauldron because it's the 40s. Every recent games have the technology and awareness of how important it is to have a visible cauldron. Heatherwick really screw this up big time. And it's true, since when is there a competition on cauldron size?? It's just common sense for it to be big!

[Brekkie Boy]

Am I missing something? It didn't seem like there was a "global cauldron race" until London claimed that they didn't want to be part of it.

Sydney's and Salt Lake's weren't very big. Good size if you ask me.

Athens' made a lot sense in its stadium as it was designed by the roof's architect. Very harmonious.

Torino's had to be so tall in order to be seen from inside and outside a stadium that closed throughout those Games except for the ceremonies.

Beijing's was big... but that was Beijing. And it actually didn't seem that big from outside the Bird's Nest.

Vancouver needed a second cauldron outside enclosed BC place to avoid exactly what London is going through right now. And I don't think that design was particularly excessive or unnecessarily big. Good size to be a photo backdrop.

Of course cauldrons in general have definitely become bigger and more show-y since decades ago, but so have the Games at large.

I didn't think Beijing's cauldron looked that big at all really on TV anyway - just seemed to be stuck on the roof. For me it is the major let down of London - it wouldn't be so bad if they'd lit it in it's final position rather than have that rather pointless bell, but considering the huge numbers walking around Olympic Park it's a real shame it's not in view. I'm sure it'll look great in the stadium but with the athletics not starting until Friday it's a poor choice - and the justification of people being able to see it on screens is weak. It's a London Olympics - Londoners want to see the flame, not images of the flame. We've seen that before!

I'm not a fan of second cauldrons but in this case I think maybe the nominated athletes lighting the one in the stadium and then the athletes who nominated them lighting a second one in the park itself would have worked, keeping that first one alight in the stadium for the athletics (and in the new location).

[nobase2010]

Looking at the pictures. The cauldron looks beautiful when it's not bunch up like a flower bouquet on fire. It looks beautiful when it is open up. Also the Olympic cauldron has now overshadowed the last the torch bearers that lit it. I can't remember who lit the cauldron.

[gotosy]

The Banished bell

The magnificent petalled cauldron and the huge bell, key elements of the most magical Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, are to be hidden from view, with the cauldron sighted only by those lucky enough to have tickets to the track and field.

London 2012 organisers said the bell, Europe’s largest, would be stored in a props room when it is moved to make room for the repositioned cauldron. But the decision not to relocate the bell, rung by Tour de France victor Bradley Wiggins, into a public space in the Olympic Park is a particularly baffling one.

http://www.telegraph...g-ceremony.html

[The Tower Bridge Fox]

Im visiting the Olympic park tomorow If people cant see the coldron in the park I thank thats crap.

[icannotseeit]

New Olympic event: Where's Betty, Wally?

Im visiting the Olympic park tomorow If people cant see the coldron in the park I thank thats crap.

you THINK thats crap? Me Too!

[The Tower Bridge Fox]

Think thats crap is what I meant.

[Juso]

I was wrongly convinced (and not wanting) the cauldron to be the orbit, however now i think I would have preferred it. I agree with posters it would have been nice if they at least had the 1948 cauldron somewhere in the park or on top of the orbit, thought two cauldrons annoy me as well. I think this sort of cauldron would have been great in a berlin style stadium where the corner inside the stadium that holds the short cauldron is open to the outside world and thus visible, but to not see it for the first week of the games is a travesty.

As others have pointed out Sydney's Cauldron, was perhaps one of the smallest in recent games but its placing high in the stands made it be seen for kilometres in every direction.

For those that say; "you take a photo once then why do you care if you see it after that", it surprises me that anyone who has been to an olympic games would feel that way, the cauldrons for the games I have attended appeared to a focal point for everyone in our group and I would assume, the majority of spectators.

After coming up with such a unique beautiful concept and a cauldron that is so symbolic, not finding a way to move it to its final location and/or making it visible outside the stadium seems like a cop out. If they are going to make the camera argument then they should have at least had a 24/7 web stream of the cauldron on the on the london 2012 homepage. I am not sure about other broadcasts, or if I have just missed it in Australia but I am yet to see the cauldron in daylight on TV and can't find any pictures of it. I think LOCOG has missed the mark, maybe I will go to Sydney Olympic Park and see the lit cauldron there.........

Sorry to flood the forum, the other thing they could have at least done is have some of the medal ceremonies centralised in a publicly open olympic stadium every night ala salt lake and vancouver and then at least have the public able to view the cauldron.

Though the challenge here would have been the logisitcal bump out time needed for the opening ceremony (tor, stadium floor etc.) before the start of Athletics.

[Alexjc]

Actually this issue of the Cauldron IN the stadium has made it to NZ. That aerial film of the stadium going through it's rapid transformation to track and field does give the impression of 'abandonment' and lonelyness for the flame... . All will be well later in the week.

This is on top of the Empty Seats debarcle that the IOC is totally to blame for...

[barrack]

I find it hard to believe that the IOC is surprised/angered about the cauldron. I realize that there was a level of secrecy, but doesn't the IOC (or a representative thereof) have some say in the cauldron approval? It seems like they need to have the final stamp of approval on everything else.

[Athensfan]

This is nuts. It makes as much sense as the ceremony itself.

Sorry. I tried to quote gotosy's Telegraph story about the hidden bell and cauldron. That's what I was referring to.

I find it hard to believe that the IOC is surprised/angered about the cauldron. I realize that there was a level of secrecy, but doesn't the IOC (or a representative thereof) have some say in the cauldron approval? It seems like they need to have the final stamp of approval on everything else.

I agree with you. The IOC is self-serving. When it behooves them to feign ignorance and outrage, they will.

[NY20??]

But the IOC isn't one all-knowing entity. It's made up of over 100 different people. I'm sure there were plenty of individual IOC members who weren't informed about the cauldron plans and would of objected if they knew about this cauldron set-up in advance.

Unless of course the same members responsible for reviewing ceremony plans beforehand are the ones complaining now. But are they?

[4seasonscentre]

Is there anything to say that the Cauldron has to be in the Athletics stadium? Probably too late to arrange now but I don't see any reason why the cauldron can't be lit in the stadium, then moved elsewhere in the park.

In order for a cauldron to be visible within the stadium and outside, you have to have a section of the stadium without covering (eg Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens).

Beijing managed to find a creative solution but that trick has now been used and it wasn't totally visible from outside or for all the seats inside.

[Athensfan]

But the IOC isn't one all-knowing entity. It's made up of over 100 different people. I'm sure there were plenty of individual IOC members who weren't informed about the cauldron plans and would of objected if they knew about this cauldron set-up in advance.

Unless of course the same members responsible for reviewing ceremony plans beforehand are the ones complaining now. But are they?

It doesn't matter. There were IOC representatives monitoring the Games' preparation. They are acting as agents of the entire IOC (and were selected to do so). Other IOC members have no grounds for complaint.

[NY20??]

That's a fair point.

This cauldron situation is clearly another fruit of London's cost-cutting consciousness. And while it's admirable that organizers have tried to keep the cost of these Games down across the board, this is one area of the Games' delivery that I think ended up being compromised because of that.

[nobase2010]

The cauldron looks kind of ugly when the flame is not on.

[Juso]

The cauldron looks kind of ugly when the flame is not on.

I agree nobase2010!

Is this photo actually post olympic ceremony or a now leaked pre ceremony photo.

I guess it makes sense, but I had hoped that when they were going to 'move' the cauldron, it was going to be a moblie whole unit with an independent secondary gas supply a bit like sydney 2000's saucer, then they would reconnect it to the main gas supply in its final position.

If they have just switched it off completely after the OC or for any significant time then this cauldron is far worse than i ever though, this is an absolute joke if thats what is happening.

[baron-pierreIV]

But the IOC isn't one all-knowing entity. It's made up of over 100 different people. I'm sure there were plenty of individual IOC members who weren't informed about the cauldron plans and would of objected if they knew about this cauldron set-up in advance.

Ceremonial decisions belong to the IOC Exec Board. And they usually just follow the recommendations of the Org Committee or the Org-Comm's chosen Ceremonies team.

[Juso]

I agree nobase2010!

Is this photo actually post olympic ceremony or a now leaked pre ceremony photo.

I guess it makes sense, but I had hoped that when they were going to 'move' the cauldron, it was going to be a moblie whole unit with an independent secondary gas supply a bit like sydney 2000's saucer, then they would reconnect it to the main gas supply in its final position.

If they have just switched it off completely after the OC or for any significant time then this cauldron is far worse than i ever though, this is an absolute joke if thats what is happening.

[barrack]

The cauldron looks kind of ugly when the flame is not on.

I still think it looks nice even when not lit. It's not "pretty," but it's still very interesting to look at. But it's a moot point, beyond this move, the cauldron will never be seen again as an unlit bowl, as it will be dismantled after it gets extinguished.

[mattperiolat]

Look on the bright side - now the IOC can say "We did it in London" when the Rio cauldron is locked away in its stadium except for the ceremonies and the football final.

In four years time, if someone does not post a picture of that cauldron alone in the stadium with the words "I get so lonely..." posted underneath, I for one will be very surprised.

[PyroKinesis]

If they have just switched it off completely after the OC or for any significant time then this cauldron is far worse than i ever though, this is an absolute joke if thats what is happening.

It certainly looks like they turned it off, because the petals appear burned.

[SkiFreak]

The cauldron looks kind of ugly when the flame is not on.

So they killed the flame eh? even if it is supposed to be lit for the full two weeks. Do they at least have the "original" fire in a relay miner's lamp?