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DESIGNERS OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH: Interview with BarberOsgerby

London design studio BarberOsgerby are the creators behind the iconic Olympic torch that is currently being carried to Olympic Stadium after the 8,000 miles (12,800 km) torch relay, criss-crossing the country since 19 May and passing London’s biggest landmarks.

“The 8000 holes represent the number of people who will take part in the Relay. For us, the Torch had to have symbolism - to represent the relay and the nation, and also to reflect that London and the UK are at the forefront of design and manufacturing,” says Ed Barber.

The journey ends this evening as the final Torchbearer lights the Cauldron, when the Dany-Boyle-choreographed London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony descents upon 80,000 people in the stadium — and an expected audience of over 1 billion across the world. Kindled from the rays of the sun at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, the Olympic Torch has spent 70 days travelling 8,000 miles around the UK, carried by 8,000  Torchbearers chosen by their own communities for the light that they bring to the lives of others.

History fact: During the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, a fire was kept burning to symbolise and remind people of the Olympic Truce. The Torch is therefore a living, vulnerable reminder that the true ambition of the Olympics is not victory but peace. The first Torchbearer was Prometheus, who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it as a gift to mankind.

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