Inspired by the snow-topped mountains and undulating landscape of Canada, it was important to make sure that not only did the podiums and ceremony trays complement all the other design elements of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic & Paralympic games, but also pushed the bar by being very unique and different from past Games.
In the beginning stages of the design process, we were very focused on creating something that was cohesive with the Look of the Games. We also wanted these platforms to stand as a kind of monument to celebrate what anyone can agree is the crowning moment for any athlete who dreams of winning an Olympic medal.
These athletes have worked, trained and struggled their entire lives to get to this point, and it seemed odd to have them stand on decorated “boxes” at the moment when their dreams come true. We talked at great lengths about how the peaks and valleys of the coast mountain range of Canada so fittingly symbolizes the highs and the lows experienced in competitive sport, especially at this level. This lead to our research of the Canadian topography and ways to represent it in a way that wasn't overtly literal.
Naturally, wood was the first material we gravitated towards. It's warm, inviting, and certainly plentiful in British Columbia. The obstacle we now faced was to incorporate the use of wood, but also stay away from the log-cabin aesthetic which is often associated with Canadian wood products.
In total, 23 podia were built for both the Olympic and Paralympic games, with 18 species of wood used as a colour palette.
The podiums design for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games achieved the perfect balance between something that is as solid as a tree trunk, both in the metaphorical and literal sense, as well as modern and dynamic.
This was also the perfect opportunity to showcase the wood and logging industry of British Columbia, which is struggling to keep it's ground in today's economy. We asked the Province of British Columbia t
