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Lillehammer Olympic torch

Year: 1994

THE TORCH FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN LILLEHAMMER 1994

The torch is a reminder of man's mastery over fire; a flaming branch is dragged out of the fire, and as it is raised up, the flame travels up its length.
When you run with such a branch, it burns like a flaming flag. Norwegian craftmanship has been applied to the design of the Olympic torch.

 

Like a sheath knife, it consists of a long wooden handle and a metal blade. The birchwood handle is the product of a long tradition in Norway, and the 'blade' of polished aluminium is a reflection of modern industry and technology. The long delicate shape echoes that of the torch-bearer; the torch is more than a burning flame. The proportions are all-important: its length in relation to the human body gives it an elegance and a flow that would be lacking in a shorter torch, and torch and body together form a unit.

The length of the torch is a carefully calculated factor in the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic Flame at the opening of the Games, being matched, among other things, with the height of the flame cauldron.
The upper part of the torch is made out of polished cast aluminium, which forms a container for the pyrotechnic mechanism. The aluminium forms a shield against the wind on one side; on the other runs the line of openings for the wicks. It is 153 cm long, and when full of fuel it weighs 1,2 kg. The pyrotechnic mechanism consists of a fuel container with seven wicks, which holds enough paraffin to burn for 30 to 40 min. 300 torches were used for the 75-day relay.

 

The torch is made by Paal J Kahrs Arkitekter AS.

Design André Marandon and Paal Johan Kahrs.

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