The work we did work on the poles for the London 2012 Olympic Cauldron
We had the honour of working on the poles used to construct the London 2012 Olympic Cauldron. The project comprised of 204 individually made copper petals on steel stems. There was a petal for each participating nation. The stems were built in sections of up to 4m and were assembled into sections that were up to 7m in length.
Thomas Heatherwick was the vision behind this spectacular piece. Broadway Metal Finishing were chosen to carry out the black zinc plating of the steel stems.
The Cauldron’s Reveal
Secrecy was of the utmost importance to the Olympics management team. The purpose of both the petals and the stems was not disclosed before the show. Therefore, it was the most closely guarded secret of the Opening Ceremonies. The cauldron’s reveal came only when it was lit.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the petals were laid on the ground. The spectacular piece of art looked alien, like something out of a sci-fi film. Long stems laid out in a peculiar circle. The petals were lit by seven young torch bearers. When their torches were lowered to light the cauldron, the outer petals lit in succession. The flames spread around the perimeter before working inwards until all of the petals were lit.
When every petal was alight, the sculpture came to life. The burning petals rose upwards. It became clear once they all aligned vertically that the 204 segments came together so that they could form the Olympic Cauldron. The display was spectacular and is remembered as one of the most emotional opening ceremonies of the Olympics in history. The symbolism of 204 nations coming together to create one remarkable display was unforgettable. The cauldron is now a permanent exhibit in the Museum of London.
Broadway Metal Finishing’s Work
The stems that made up the cauldron were zinc plated. After this, they were dyed black and finished in ‘bad black’. Therefore, this gave the stems the appearance of being thinner than they actually were. Depending on the background and lighting at the time, the colour helped create the illusion of invisibility. As a result, for some spectators, the cauldron would have appeared to be unsupported.
This was a very exciting project to work on and marked a historical moment for the Olympics and for Broadway Metal Finishing.