London 2012 Olympic Cauldron by Thomas Heatherwick

Here are the first images of the London 2012 Olympic Cauldron, unveiled at the opening ceremony of the games, yesterday. The Olympic torch was brought to the stadium along the Thames in a speedboat by David Beckham, who then passed it to five-time Olympic gold medallist rower Sir Steve Redgrave.

The Cauldron designed by londoner Thomas Heatherwick, consists of 205 copper 'petals', one for each competing nation or territory. They were brought into the stadium by each team as part of the athletes’ procession then attached to long pipes in a ring at the centre of the arena.

Seven young British athletes who lit the London 2012 Games cauldron were each nominated by UK Olympic champions. The seven teenagers each lit a single tiny flame from torches to seven of the petals then the flames spread from one petal to the next. Once all the petals were ablaze the pipes rose them upwards to combine as one.

The petals were inscribed with each delegation's name and 'XXX Olympiad London 2012'. After being ignited they rose on long stems to converge and form a cauldron signifying unity and peace.

The Olympic Torch designed by Hackney studio BarberOsgerby was unveiled last year and has been touring the UK since 19 May as part of the Olympic relay but the design of Heatherwick’s cauldron was a closely guarded secret until yesterday.

Thomas Heatherwick has had a solo exhibition at London's V&A Museum as part of the London 2012 Festival. An exhibit about the Olympic Cauldron will be added to Heatherwick’s ongoing exhibition at the V&A museum from today.

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THOMAS HEATHERWICK

Thomas Heatherwick established in 1994, Heatherwick Studio recognised for its work in architecture, urban infrastructure, sculpture, design and strategic thinking. Today a team of 180, including architects, designers and makers, works from a combined studio and workshop in Kings Cross, London.

At the heart of the studio’s work is a profound commitment to finding innovative design solutions, with a dedication to artistic thinking and the latent potential of materials and craftsmanship. This is achieved through a working methodology of collaborative rational inquiry, undertaken in a spirit of curiosity and experimentation.

In the twenty years of its existence, Heatherwick Studio has worked in many countries, with a wide range of commissioners and in a variety of regulatory environments. Through this experience, the studio has acquired a high level of expertise in the design and realisation of unusual projects, with a particular focus on the large scale.

The studio’s work includes a number of nationally significant projects for the UK, including the award-winning UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the Olympic Cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the New Bus for London.

Thomas is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects; a Senior Research Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum; and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Royal College of Art, University of Dundee, University of Brighton, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Manchester.

He has won the Prince Philip Designers Prize, and, in 2004, was the youngest practitioner to be appointed a Royal Designer for Industry. In 2010, Thomas was awarded the RIBA’s Lubetkin Prize and the London Design Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to design.

In 2013 Thomas was awarded a CBE for his services to the design industry.