Chinanews client, Beijing, February 4th. The torch of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics-"Flying", officially came out on February 4, 2021.
"The torch is an important carrier to show the concept of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Chinese culture. It is a concentrated expression of the vision and spirit of the Beijing Winter Olympics. We released the design of the torch at the first anniversary of the countdown to the Winter Olympics. We want to use the torch to ignite the whole The world’s enthusiasm and broad expectations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.” said Wang Xiangyu, deputy director of the Cultural Activities Department of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee.
Torch "Flying" appearance design.
Image source: Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics Organizing Committee Official Weibo
Finalists are just the starting point
The torch is one of the elements that have attracted much attention in the previous Olympic Games.
The Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee publicly solicited the design of the torch from the public on April 24, 2020.
As soon as the news came out, everyone was boiling.
After more than 3 months of modification and improvement, after multiple rounds of review by the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, the "Porcelain Fire Heart" program stood out from the 182 effective proposals from the whole society, and became the finalist for the torch design on July 31.
“Before the design team had time to congratulate each other, everyone clearly realized that at this moment is when the project really started. The future will face many challenges, and the shortlisting of the plan is just a starting point.” Rao Jie, project leader of the Torch Team Said in memory.
In the process of design optimization for the next one and a half months, the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee organized well-known experts in different fields including burners, lightweight materials, industrial design, culture and other fields to form a revision group with the original author to guide the three torch design selection units Intensified revision work was carried out many times to further enhance the modeling creativity, visual effects and cultural connotation of the design scheme.
As the whole team has a process of understanding and innovation of the culture of the Beijing Winter Olympics, even the improved version of the design was on the verge of failure.
Two days before the next reporting node, the whole team made up his mind to completely emptied the project room, erased all previous writing on the blackboard, and re-explored the deeper roots of design culture.
During the intense discussion, the designers gradually reached a new consensus: to hide the "porcelain core" in the original plan as the burning vent, and to change the hollow spirally ascending streamer as the main feature, and the fire vent was changed to the inner and outer streamers. On the edge.
Although it has undergone several complete subversions, but limited by the mechanized thinking and creative methods of industrial design, the winding form of the streamers inside and outside the torch is always too regular, and it is always in line with the overall design requirements of "the way of nature and the unity of nature and man". Out of reach".
Everything seems to be stuck.
The torch was released instantly.
Lines of nature
When thinking fell into a bottleneck, when discussing with Lin Cunzhen, the torch design modification expert of the Cultural Activities Department of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, a leaf of agile and beautiful shape gave the design team new inspiration.
The lines of nature cannot be realized in computer design software.
As a result, the designers used the "Dao Law of Nature" as a guide on the whiteboard, and copied them like calligraphy. After countless attempts, there were finally a few sketches that faintly captured the power of life.
"Actually, this is a process from gradual realization to epiphany." Li Jianye, the designer of the torch exterior, recalled.
Before the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee formally determines the final winning plan, the final report is crucial.
The night before the report, based on the design feedback provided by the experts of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, the designers worked all night long and finally completed three torches and six scheme designs.
On September 22, 2020, after studying at the office meeting of the Chairman of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, the current torch design plan-"Flying" was determined.
The overall appearance of the torch echoes the shape of the main torch tower for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, reflecting the inheritance and development of the "Double Olympic City".
From bottom to top, it gradually transitions from the auspicious cloud pattern to the paper-cut snowflake pattern, which rotates and rises like a ribbon fluttering, and finally appears as a flying flame.
Xiangyun conveys auspicious meaning and is a continuation of the Beijing Olympics; snowflakes express the characteristics of the Winter Olympics and are the innovation of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
When the torch is handed over, the tops of the two torches can be closely interlocked. It is not only an ingenious design innovation, symbolizing the exchange and mutual learning of different civilizations, but also embodies the vision of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics that will make the world more familiar and harmonious.
The torch of the Beijing Winter Olympics is red and silver, which means ice and fire meet, and passion is flying.
The red line runs up and down with the turning of the torch, symbolizing the passionate ice and snow track, and also represents the eternal fire, bright and upward, expressing humanity's endless, longing for peace, pursuit of excellence, and the strength of the Olympic movement.
The torch of the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games is gold and silver, which means glory and dream.
The golden line runs up and down with the turning of the torch, symbolizing the passionate ice and snow track, and also represents the eternal fire, bright and upward, expressing the human being’s endless, tolerant and integrated, longing for peace and "courage, determination, motivation, equality "Paralympic values.
"The current plan should be said to be a concentration of wisdom and technology in many fields, with a high level of design, the art form has Chinese characteristics, and it reflects Beijing’s “dignified, elegant, atmospheric, and open” urban characteristics, and integrates the “Double Olympics” Urban elements'.” said Lu Xiaobo, judge of the torch design review panel for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University.
After intensive revisions, the design results were initially produced. Under strict confidential procedures, the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee organized representatives of the masses to comment on the design plan. Representatives from all parties gave high praise to the design results and increased the team’s effort. confidence.
On December 7, 2020, the International Olympic Committee Executive Committee reviewed and approved the torch design plan for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Interlocking black technology
"The design of this torch adheres to the concept of green and sustainable, and strives to integrate art design and technological innovation." Wang Xiangyu said.
One of the highlights of "Flying" Torch Technology is the use of hydrogen as fuel.
In addition to environmental protection properties, it is also considered that the Winter Olympics torch relay needs to operate in a low temperature environment. The characteristics of hydrogen fuel ensure that the torch can be used in extreme cold weather.
According to Han Zongjie, a senior engineer of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation who participated in the research and development, the development of the torch solved many technical problems such as flame color and stability, high-pressure hydrogen storage, and safe use of hydrogen energy.
It has high safety and reliability, can withstand wind level 10, can be used in extreme cold weather, and has a decompression ratio of several hundred times.
While solving complex problems, it also takes into account the matching requirements of lightweight and miniaturization.
Combined with the characteristics of hydrogen, the structure, capacity, and pressure of the combustion tank also have corresponding technical requirements.
The second technical highlight of "Feiyang" is that the torch shell is made of light-weight, high-temperature resistant carbon fiber material, and the torch combustion tank is also made of carbon fiber.
Huang Xiangyu, a carbon fiber expert and deputy general manager of Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co., Ltd., introduced that the Beijing Winter Olympics torch consists of a torch shell and a combustion device. Among them, the torch shell is made of carbon fiber and its composite materials, showing a "light, solid, The characteristics of beauty.
"Light": Carbon fiber composite material is more than 20% lighter than aluminum alloy of the same volume.
"Solid": This material has the characteristics of high strength, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, friction resistance, and ultraviolet radiation resistance.
"Mei" has applied the international advanced level of three-dimensional three-dimensional weaving molding technology, weaving high-performance fibers into a beautiful whole with complex shapes like this.
Universities, scientific research institutes and science and technology enterprises have worked together to overcome a series of problems, solve the application bottleneck of carbon fiber composite materials under extreme conditions, and realize the normal use of the torch shell in a hydrogen combustion environment above 800 ℃.
Solved the problem of blistering and cracking of the torch shell during the high temperature preparation process at 1000℃.
The Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee highly affirmed the design of the torch and believed that the design of the torch once again proved that the Olympic Games is a clever combination of sports and culture, art and technology.
With both cultural heritage and technological innovation, Chinese culture and art are perfectly displayed.
Not only embodies the characteristics of the "Double Olympic City", but also shows the spirit of the Olympics.
Man and nature
The core concept of the overall image landscape of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics is derived from the traditional Chinese philosophy of "Tao to follow nature and harmony between man and nature", and the torch design also complies with this concept.
The designer feels that everyone has heard this sentence, but it is still difficult to truly understand it, and even express it on an entity like torch.
Beijing will become the world's first double Olympic city to host the Summer and Winter Olympics in 2022.
Therefore, compared with the torch of the 2008 Olympic Games, this torch is both inheritance and innovation.
Speaking of the torch, the first thing that appeared in Li Jianye's mind was the "Auspicious Clouds" of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The unique oriental beauty of the scroll of auspicious clouds imprinted on him.
Although the manuscripts have been changed several times, in every version of the drawings, almost all retained the "Double Olympic City" concept.
"The feeling that this torch wants to express is that the entire Chinese nation is moving upwards prosperously with an open attitude."
In terms of appearance, the overall shape of "Flying" is inspired by nature, and the streamline force of nature is full of vitality; in terms of fuel, hydrogen is taken from water, and after combustion, it becomes water, realizing zero carbon emissions and practicing "Green Winter Olympics" concept.
Meeting ice and fire, passion flying, showing the vitality and dream of ice and snow sports, illuminating every day leading to Beijing 2022.
(Finish)