august-2011

~ insider olympics ~
Torch song
As designers of the London 2012 Olympic torch,
East End artists Barber & Osgerby will be delighted to see
their work go up in flames next year, says Lucille Howe
Portrait by Travis Hodges
on friday, May 18 next year, a very special delivery will reach
English shores from its home in Greece – the Olympic Flame –
and when it does, two east London artists will watch their work
take the world stage.
Designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby work just four
miles from the London 2012 stadium, which made designing
the Olympic icon all the more seductive. Osgerby tells how they
fi rst caught wind of the project: “When Ed and I heard that
Britain had won the bid to host 2012 we were in the back of a
black cab. Straight away we said, ‘We have to do the torch.’”
Barber and Osgerby founded their studio in 1996 aft er
graduating with masters degrees in architecture from the Royal
College of Art in London. In 2004, the pair were awarded the
Jerwood Applied Arts Prize and their work is held in permanent
collections around the world, including the V&A Museum in
London. With such a stellar CV, it’s no surprise
the duo’s design pitch for the torch was rewarded, despite
fi erce competition.
“Around 500 designers pitched for the job, 25 were
shortlisted and a fi nal fi ve presented,” explains Osgerby. “And,
yes, we practised running with our torch around the offi ce!”
Unveiled for the fi rst time at London’s St
Pancras station in June, the design elicited
various responses from the world press
including declarations that it looked like a
giant cheese grater, a hotel ashtray, a
cigarette holder and, according to a piece
by the BBC, a bit “bling”. But, the duo was keen to explain their
thoughtful and elegant design, made of lightweight aluminium,
and featuring 8,000 holes – one to represent each of the relay
runners who will carry the torch.
“There are recurring trinities in this Olympics. It’s the third
time it’s been in London and the themes are sport, education
and culture, so that informed the triangular shape,” says
Barber. “It needed to be light – Turin’s was two kilos, a veritable
dead weight – easy to hold and comfortable in whatever
weather, because you never really know what it will be like in
July. The youngest relay runner is 12 so we also wanted it to be
tall enough to be visible to a crowd.”
“And if you drop it, it bounces,” interjects Osgerby, smiling.
The relay route, which covers every region in the UK and
includes island visits, will see the torch travel 8,000 miles in a
70-day journey. It will come within one hour of 95% of people
in the UK, arriving at the Olympic Stadium on July 27 for the
lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony. A whole
year in advance, Barber and Osgerby, it seems, are the Games’
fi rst winners.
28 metropolitan
L’année prochaine, Edward Barber et Jay Osgerby, les
artistes de l’East-End auteurs de la torche olympique,
mettront le feu aux Jeux olympiques de Londres
le vendredi 18 mars 2012, une livraison spéciale
venue de Grèce accostera sur les côtes anglaises :
la fl amme olympique. Le travail de deux artistes
londoniens prendra alors une dimension universelle.
Les stylistes Edward Barber et Jay Osgerby travaillent
à deux pas du stade olympique. La conception du
symbole des Jeux n’en était que plus séduisante.
« Lorsque nous avons appris que la Grande-Bretagne
organiserait les Jeux, nous étions dans un taxi. Nous
avons immédiatement pensé que nous devions créer
cette fl amme, dit Osgerby. »
Barber et Osgerby ont fondé leur cabinet en 1996
après avoir obtenu leur diplôme en architecture au
Royal College of Art de Londres. En 2004, ils ont
obtenu le Jerwood Applied Arts Prize et leur travail fait