Tickets are now available to visit the Paris ‘flying cauldron’ that was lit by the Olympic Flame in spectacular fashion at the Opening Ceremony on July 26.
The cauldron, which appears similar to a large, golden hot air balloon, began to rise after being lit by former French Olympians Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner, before reaching its full height of 60 metres (30 metres tall, rising 30 metres into the air).
During the day, it is displayed in the Tuileries Gardens, and at night it rises.
The ‘flame’ is not actually alight, and works without fossil fuels. In the first system of its kind for an Olympic Flame, it is an electric flame, and was designed by Mathieu Lehanneur, with electricity company EDF. Light from 40 LEDs is projected onto a cloud of water from 200 nozzles, giving the illusion that it is a flame dancing to the rhythm of the wind.
EDF states that the balloon uses two metres cubed of water per hour when on the ground, and three when it is floating. It uses ‘green electricity’, the company said.
The design is both a nod to the Montgolfier brothers, who pioneered hot air ballooning using hot air from fire in Paris in 1783; and the Robert brothers, who successfully flew the first hydrogen-powered ‘airship’.
Iconic 🔥! For the 1️⃣ time in the history of the Games, the Olympic Flame shines without fuel
A 100% electric flame thanks to EDF, made of water & light
The hot-air balloon is positioned in the Tuileries garden during the day & takes off into #Paris sky at sunset
Tickets are now available to visit the site, via the online form on the dedicated ticketing website. You must enter your details and choose a visiting time slot.
The tickets are free, but they are limited (10,000) and you must register as above.
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The visiting limit is 3,000 people per day, with 300 people allowed per time slot. If you miss your time slot you may not be allowed in.
The site will be open every day during the Olympics and Paralympics (to September 8), from 11:00 to 19:00. It is widely accessible by several metro lines, including 1, 3, 7, and 8; and the RER C to Pyramides.
The closest station is the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre, which is some seven minutes’ walk away from the site (although this station will be closed on August 3 and 4). The next closest station is Pyramides, which is around an eight minute walk away.
You can also drive and park, but only at one of the public paying car parks close to the venue (e.g. Parking Indigo Paris Louvre, Saemes Parking Pyramides, or Parking Indigo Paris Vendôme). The site does not have its own parking.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has welcomed the balloon and has suggested it could be kept in Paris after the Olympics and Paralympics are over.
Designer Mr Lehanneur told Le Parisien: “I would love for it to stay. Let’s launch an appeal, start a petition…and if it is popular, we will take it to the Louvre, the mairie, the government to share our idea,” he joked.
The idea of keeping a ‘temporary’ exhibit long after the event has passed is not new in Paris; the Eiffel Tower itself comes under this category. It was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition and had been intended to come down afterwards.
And Ms Hidalgo has appeared to support the cauldron idea. “The cauldron is an extraordinary object and the location in which it is situated is magnificent,” she said to France Bleu Paris today (July 29).
“The mayor's office is currently working on technical solutions, such as keeping the cauldron in place despite the year-round weather conditions in Paris,” said Pierre Rabadan, the Paris deputy mayor in charge of sports.
The Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower are 29m wide eachnoriox/Shutterstock
Ms Hidalgo also said she would like to keep the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower. The rings are huge, at 29m wide, 15m high and 9m in diameter per ring.
“[Keeping them is] a subject I am involved in [discussing],” she said.
