Olympic Cauldron Park is located at the University of Utah, next to Rice-Eccles Stadium. It was built after the Olympics and is the permanent home of the Cauldron that was lit during the 2002 winter games. Also inside the park are banners and other paraphernalia from the games, as well as the Hoberman arch which was used nightly for medals ceremonies during the games. There is a small museum and gift shop with photos of the games and a video that runs at regular intervals. While small in scale compared the plazas and parks commemorating the games in other Olympic cities, it is actually a very pleasant and well designed park. Definitely worth a visit while in SLC.
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The Olympic Cauldron was designed by the California firm of WET Design, the same firm that designed the fountains at the Bellagio and the Volcano at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The cauldron consists of a 130' glass tower down which a constant stream of water is running. The cauldron is still operational and was re-lit at the beginning of the 2006 summer games. |
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The Hoberman Arch is also on display at the park. The arch is a collapsible occulus that served as theater curtain by expanding and collapsing. The arch was the centerpiece on stage during the nightly awards ceremonies. It was designed by designer Chuck Hoberman. Hoberman specializes in what he calls "transformable design". This is his largest project to date. |
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All photos
on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Daren Willden, unless
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All rights reserved. Permission required to use