Highlight: Carlo Ratti's Milan-Cortina Olympic Torch - Design Insight
The design of the Olympic and Paralympic torches for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Games, named "Essential," showcases a unique blend of sustainable, minimalist, and collaborative design principles.
Minimalist Design
The torch embraces a pure, functional, and deeply symbolic aesthetic. Its open structure is deliberately minimalist, centering the flame as the primary visual element and making the burning process visible. This approach emphasizes clarity of form and function, avoiding unnecessary decoration.
Sustainability
While specific materials are not detailed, the torch’s design philosophy aligns with sustainability. The collaboration with energy companies Eni and Versalis, known for their focus on energy and sustainability innovations, is a testament to this commitment. Moreover, the medals accompanying the games are made from recycled metals and produced using renewable energy, indicating the broader sustainable ethos of the event’s design projects.
Collaborative Design
The torch was developed collaboratively by Carlo Ratti Associati, Cavagna, Versalis, and Eni, demonstrating a harmonious blend of design, engineering precision, and energy expertise. Its symbolic openness—literally exposing the flame’s mechanism—can be viewed as a metaphor for transparency and collaboration among stakeholders.
Transparency and Functionality
The torch’s minimalist open-frame structure demonstrates transparency and functionality in design. The handle of the torch uses a Versalis-developed polymer derived from renewable sources, further emphasizing the torch’s commitment to sustainability.
Symbolism and Unity
The torch design reflects a collective spirit, akin to the medals’ concept of two complementary halves symbolizing the athlete's network of support. The torches have two distinct finishes: blue-green for the Olympics and bronze for the Paralympics, symbolizing the unity and diversity of the Games.
Versatile and Efficient
Cavagna Group developed a refillable burner for the torch that can be used up to ten times, making it a practical and efficient design solution. The torch's design philosophy can be encapsulated in the phrase "doing less as the first act of sustainability."
In conclusion, the torch design for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games is a symbol of the Games' commitment to environmental responsibility and global solidarity through sport. It is a testament to the idea that architects today must be choral conductors, not soloists, and that collaboration across disciplines and industries is essential in addressing complex problems.
Technology plays a crucial role in the design of the Olympic and Paralympic torches for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Games, as Cavagna Group developed a refillable burner for the torch that can be used up to ten times, making it a highly efficient design.
News regarding the trade and production of the materials for these torches indicated a collaborative effort between design firms, energy companies, and industrial groups. The torch's open structure underscores the importance of transparency in the process, aligning with the ethos of collaboration and global solidarity that the Games represent.
Innovations in technology and materials also extend to the medals of the games, as they are made from recycled metals and produced using renewable energy, playing a part in maintaining the sustainability focus that pervades the entire design process.
