MMU graduate delights crowds with Olympic cauldron
31 July 2012
Former 3d design student wowed world with Olympic flame.
THE Olympic Stadium is being readied for the start of the track and field events, when it will again be lit up by the Olympic cauldron, which was designed by Manchester Metropolitan University graduate Thomas Heatherwick.
For most spectators, one of the many highlights of Danny Boyle’s spectacular Opening Ceremony was the unique and dramatic way in which the cauldron was lit.
The incredible process, which saw the 204 copper petals - representing each competing nation - light up and merge together to create one giant flame, was the brainchild of Three Dimensional Design graduate Heatherwick.
He said “only four or five people” had been aware of the two year project to create the cauldron which will burn for the duration of the 30th Olympic Games.
Great success
The 42 year-old graduated from the Manchester School of Art in 1991 and after founding his Heatherwick Studio three years later, has since gone on to enjoy great success in the world of design.
He won the Prince Philip Designers Prize in 2004, and his creations include the Rolling Bridge in Paddington, the ‘B of the Bang’ sculpture situated outside the City of Manchester Stadium and the updated Routemaster London buses.
He is a Senior Fellow at the Royal College of Art and has been awarded three honorary doctorates from British universities - Sheffield Hallam, Dundee and Manchester Metropolitan.
David Grimshaw, Three Dimensional Design programme leader said: “We’re incredibly proud of all of Tom’s achievements, and for him to be commissioned to design the London Olympic Cauldron is a great honour.
Beautiful design
“It’s a stunning piece of work, a beautiful design with an inventive and sensitive use of materials, but also a design that reflects an emotional sensitivity, communicating a story of inclusivity and togetherness through a single object. It reflects all of the values we hold dear on the programme, and Tom’s success will be an inspiration to all our students.”
From craft making to designing for industry, the Three Dimensional Design course focuses on developing the skills to design and produce objects – from personal to everyday functional.
The course has a strong hands-on focus, and students are encouraged to discover the potential for producing objects that blend the best traditions of hand-making with the technologies of machine and digital manufacturing.
Students will have access to an extensive range of specialist workshops, be taught by specialist staff and have contact with the industry through live projects and competition briefs. For more information click here.
