Is the London 2012 Olympic torch a winning design?

The design of the London 2012 Olympic torch had been a closely guarded secret.

Its triangular shape symbolises the three times that London has staged the Games – 1908, 1948 and 2012 – as well as the three-worded Olympic motto of faster, higher, stronger.

The torch, which will carry the Olympic flame to the London 2012 Games opening ceremony, has been created by design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

From their base in east London, less than four miles from the Olympic Stadium, they came up with a golden 800mm-tall triangular tube made of aluminium and dotted with 8,000 holes.

Edward told Channel 4 News the torch was the best thing they had ever designed: “As designers your latest project is probably always your best because it’s new and there’s excitement around it.”

A ‘beautifully designed, engineered and crafted torch’

The relay will start at Land’s End and travel as far as the outer Hebrides.

The aim is that 95 per cent of the UK population will be within a one-hour journey time of the Olympic torch relay, which takes the flame through to the lighting of the Olympic cauldron to open the Games.

When can you see the torch? London 2012 Olympic torch route interactive map

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London 2012 Chairman Lord Coe said: “Members of the public right across the UK are busy nominating inspiring people to be torchbearers, and I am thrilled we have a beautifully designed, engineered and crafted torch for them to carry.

“Integral to the design are the 8,000 circles, a lasting representation of the torchbearer stories of personal achievement or contribution to their local community that will be showcased with every step of the relay.”

It has been tested in a range of weather conditions at London 2012 sponsor BMW’s climatic testing facility.

A spokesman said: “We have a whole test procedure to run through. It is environmentally tested from altitudes of 4,500ft and wind speeds, in rain, snow and everything we can think of in the British summertime.”

What do you think of the torch?
Christine Sadler via FB: I don't understand the reason someone thought a hole was a good visual metaphor for each person carrying the torch?
Binita Walia via FB: The designers are some of the best innovators in the UK. This is very elegant considering the immense constraints they would have had.
MrsFumble via Twitter: Very sparkly.
Gareth Morgan via FB: It's a flaming vuvezela!

Tests are ongoing, but there have also been structural tests and durability checks to see what happens to it if dropped.

The torch design has received a mixed reaction with some people comparing it to a cheese grater.

Edward said he wasn’t worried about criticism: “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, it doesn’t bother us at all. We’re very pleased with the design and not everyone can like everything.”

Coming in at 1.8lb (800g), the London 2012 torch is set to be one of the lighter Olympic torches.

On a practical level, this was needed because half of the 8,000 torchbearers are set to be aged between 12 to 24-years-old.

It is crafted from an aluminium alloy developed for the aerospace and automotive industry that is lightweight, has good tensile strength and excellent heat resistance.