SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 29, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Olympic Cauldron returned to the University of Utah on Friday after an off-site effort to refurbish the metal and glass creation and to extend its lifespan.
“Removed in February 2020, the cauldron was transported to an off-site location where all 738 glass panes were removed and the complete structure was sandblasted and refinished,” says a statement issued by the University of Utah.
The project was undertaken with help from Layton Construction, which shared a time-lapse video of the reinstallation, which still requires the new panes of glass to be fastened into place. The cauldron dates from the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
“To ensure safety, the cauldron will be placed without the panes of new high-quality glass,” the statement says. “The placement, described as ‘threading a needle,’ may take several hours from start to finish.”
A new, 17-foot pedestal was put in place to hold the cauldron, located just north of Rice-Eccles Stadium’s ticket office.
To see the video, click on the player at the top of this story.
