Olympic Cauldron Paris 2024

[Marcus]

The Olympic Cauldron from Paris 2024 is an eye-catcher. But the second time I looked at it, I was very disappointed.
 

A flame was lit in an elaborate ceremony in ancient Olympia. This flame is then carried for days through Greece, then for days on a ship across the Mediterranean Sea and for months through the whole of France. Always with safety mountain lamps so that the holy flame does not go out... and then at the opening ceremony a large LED lamp in the shape of a balloon is simply switched on. Is that supposed to be the Olympic flame?? Are you serious??

[olimpicgamer]

The cauldron is uninspiring. It sucks.

[baron-pierreIV]

31 minutes ago, olimpicgamer said:

The cauldron is uninspiring. It sucks.

Agreed.  So they paid homage to the Montgolfieri brothers -- but so what?  Not a cauldron worthy of the $200 million they poured into the rest of the show.  

[Kevin C.]

6 hours ago, Marcus said:

The Olympic Cauldron from Paris 2024 is an eye-catcher. But the second time I looked at it, I was very disappointed.
 

A flame was lit in an elaborate ceremony in ancient Olympia. This flame is then carried for days through Greece, then for days on a ship across the Mediterranean Sea and for months through the whole of France. Always with safety mountain lamps so that the holy flame does not go out... and then at the opening ceremony a large LED lamp in the shape of a balloon is simply switched on. Is that supposed to be the Olympic flame?? Are you serious??

My thoughts exactly.

[Sir Rols]

For those not happy with the absence of a physical flame (and I admit, I’m a bit sad to see it go), you better get used to it. Like the doves, I think the days of a flaming cauldron are done. It’s clear since Beijing, the Gangwon YOGs and now here, it’s deemed a bit too problematic a symbol these days to have a cauldron burning gas for 16 days.

Asa I said, Im a bit sad at that, but can understand the gesture.

Otherwise, I love Paris’ cauldron concept. An imaginative and significant way to match memorable cauldrons of the past. 

[Anthony]

Do we think this will become a new IOC requirement? Seems a bit silly to “go green” with the cauldron given the amount of emissions it takes to even put on a Games. It’s all optics. I think there are smarter ways to find a balance.

[AustralianFan]

@Sir Rols just wondering if this new duplicate cauldron thread could be combined with the existing one (?)

[Sir Rols]

We’ll have to ask the boss.

@GBModerator, any chance this thread can be merged into the one here, please: 

 

Edited July 28, 2024 by Sir Rols

[DamC]

The actual Olympic flame is still burning in a lantern next to the cauldron by the way

[ejaycat]

People are actually lining up to see this thing and take pictures---which I think is cool!  It's the first time Paris has hosted the Olympics in a hundred years, and its first Olympics with an Olympic "flame."  The Olympics are an ephemeral thing anyway, so, this is probably a once in a lifetime event for many.  

Here's some video: 

 

[baron-pierreIV]

The balloon LOOKS so BARE!  They've plastered the City and venues in Marseilles, Lyon and Lille with the overly florid "Paris 2024" look -- but left this ICONIC prop completely bare?    How about a stylized-- Jules Verne-ish map of the world on it?  Or even one big Phrygian cap?  After all, it gets cold up there at 100 ft. above sea level at night??    I'm guessing this will also be the Paralympic cauldron-- maybe with a broken panel or something??  

[ejaycat]

5 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

The balloon LOOKS so BARE!  They've plastered the City and venues in Marseilles, Lyon and Lille with the overly florid "Paris 2024" look -- but left this ICONIC prop completely bare?    How about a stylized-- Jules Verne-ish map of the world on it?  Or even one big Phrygian cap?  After all, it gets cold up there at 100 ft. above sea level at night??    I'm guessing this will also be the Paralympic cauldron-- maybe with a broken panel or something??  

I agree it does look bare, and the fact that it's silver-colored doesn't make it stand out against the cloudy/rainy sky.  I guess that'll change when blue skies do come out?

In a nod to their very first Olympics they hosted in 1900, maybe they could have gone with something like the Globe Céleste, from the Exposition Universelle de 1900:  

 

[baron-pierreIV]

/\/\  Exactly!!  And get this -- the WHOLE logo is THE FLAME.  Yet, where is it??? 

[Red Centaur]

The Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron signifies a profound departure from the authentic symbolism historically embedded in the Games. By opting for steam and LED lighting effects over a real flame, the design diminishes the cauldron's historical and symbolic gravitas. The Olympic flame, rooted in ancient Greek rituals, is a potent symbol of continuity, unity, and the transcendence of temporal boundaries. This substitution with a technological illusion not only undermines the ceremonial depth but also detaches the event from its rich historical context.

Integrating a live flame within a helium-filled sphere, while technically complex, could have preserved the ceremonial integrity while embracing modern design. Such integration would require a robust, heat-resistant enclosure for the flame, low-intensity burners to manage heat output, and effective ventilation systems to dissipate any generated heat. The helium would need to be contained in a separate, insulated layer to prevent heat transfer, and flame control mechanisms would ensure stability and safety. Despite these technical challenges, incorporating a live flame could have achieved a synthesis of tradition and innovation, bridging historical authenticity with contemporary aesthetics. The current approach, however, prioritises spectacle over substance, potentially compromising the ritual's profound narrative and cultural resonance. By favouring visual novelty over the enduring symbolism of the flame, there is a risk of eroding the ceremonial integrity that has been integral to the Olympic tradition for millennia.

[Bear]

1 hour ago, Red Centaur said:

The Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron signifies a profound departure from the authentic symbolism historically embedded in the Games. By opting for steam and LED lighting effects over a real flame, the design diminishes the cauldron's historical and symbolic gravitas. The Olympic flame, rooted in ancient Greek rituals, is a potent symbol of continuity, unity, and the transcendence of temporal boundaries. This substitution with a technological illusion not only undermines the ceremonial depth but also detaches the event from its rich historical context.

Integrating a live flame within a helium-filled sphere, while technically complex, could have preserved the ceremonial integrity while embracing modern design. Such integration would require a robust, heat-resistant enclosure for the flame, low-intensity burners to manage heat output, and effective ventilation systems to dissipate any generated heat. The helium would need to be contained in a separate, insulated layer to prevent heat transfer, and flame control mechanisms would ensure stability and safety. Despite these technical challenges, incorporating a live flame could have achieved a synthesis of tradition and innovation, bridging historical authenticity with contemporary aesthetics. The current approach, however, prioritises spectacle over substance, potentially compromising the ritual's profound narrative and cultural resonance. By favouring visual novelty over the enduring symbolism of the flame, there is a risk of eroding the ceremonial integrity that has been integral to the Olympic tradition for millennia.

not trying to make any point here, but did you use chatgpt to write this (or your other messages)? are you chatgpt?

[Red Centaur]

11 minutes ago, Bear said:

not trying to make any point here, but did you use chatgpt to write this (or your other messages)? are you chatgpt?

no.

[Bear]

Just now, Red Centaur said:

no.

fair

[kevzz]

The concept of a cauldron on a hot air balloon that pays homage to the Montgolfier brothers and Tuileries Garden is great. It's just unconceivable that no real flame is used. I am sure with technology now, there must be a way to have a very energy efficient way to keep a real flame going with some innovative material or green source of energy. 

There is also carbon footprint with using electricity and water mist for this cauldron. So there is bound to be some energy consumption!

[sebastien1214]

We should really lock one of the two threads on the cauldron (if we can't merge them) because it doesn't make sense to split the discussion on two identical threads.

[AustralianFan]

On 7/28/2024 at 8:11 AM, AustralianFan said:

@Sir Rols just wondering if this new duplicate cauldron thread could be combined with the existing one (?)

 

On 7/28/2024 at 8:14 AM, Sir Rols said:

We’ll have to ask the boss.

@GBModerator, any chance this thread can be merged into the one here, please: 

 

 

24 minutes ago, sebastien1214 said:

We should really lock one of the two threads on the cauldron (if we can't merge them) because it doesn't make sense to split the discussion on two identical threads.

@sebastien1214 I fully agree and above have requested this newer one we’re in now be merged into the existing 3 years old one started in 2021 during the pandemic.

Locking this newer one would work too if Gamesbids can do it.

[SkiFreak]

They should've just used Notre Dame's new spire as a cauldron! 

[kevzz]

Tokyo pioneered the use of green hydrogen for the Olympic cauldron. The hydrogen was created through the electrolysis of water using solar power. And the flame burns without greenhouse emission. 
 

This sounds pretty good to me. I am not sure why Paris need to do away with an electric flame if Tokyo has already found a way to have a green flame without carbon emission.

[Red Centaur]

The Paris cauldron is cheating. It is pretending to be fire. It is pretending to be something it isn’t. This goes against everything the Olympics stand for. 

[StefanMUC]

39 minutes ago, Red Centaur said:

The Paris cauldron is cheating. It is pretending to be fire. It is pretending to be something it isn’t. This goes against everything the Olympics stand for. 

It is a stunning cauldron that fully serves its purpose. When you want to talk about cheating at the Olympics, let‘s open a thread about Chinese swimmers not being suspended.

Everyone knows the „fire“ in the cauldron/balloon is an illusion, and that‘s perfectly fine. The days when the original flame was transported from hand to hand in a relay from Olympia and then used to light up the cauldron (or roast some doves) are long gone.

[LOUIS]

On 8/8/2024 at 3:21 PM, StefanMUC said:

Everyone knows the „fire“ in the cauldron/balloon is an illusion, and that‘s perfectly fine. The days when the original flame was transported from hand to hand in a relay from Olympia and then used to light up the cauldron (or roast some doves) are long gone.

Why is that "perfectly fine"? Why are those days "long gone"? What was really so bad about the (actual) Olympic flame? Has it not been one of the most powerful symbolisms of the Olympics?

(I can't believe I'm really asking these questions...)