Designers from the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University – the team behind the Asian Winter Games' cauldron, emblem, mascots and more – shared their design process and the meaning behind their creations.
Amid ice and snow, a blazing flame atop a newly unveiled cauldron marked the opening of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Feb. 7.
The torch tower was designed by teachers and students from the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU). The structure, a new landmark at the Harbin Ice and Snow World Park on Sun Island, now stands as a testament to months of dedication.
Dean Ma Sai and Professor Fan Yinliang of the Department of Industrial Design described the cauldron as a source of pride, embodying creativity and conveying meaningful stories.
The time was very tight; we had to submit the design within a couple of weeks, Ma recalled of the phone call he received from the Harbin Asian Winter Games Organizing Committee in mid-August. The committee invited the academy to participate in the main cauldron design tender, with submissions due by Aug. 31, 2024. Since it was summer vacation, Ma urgently convened video meetings with teachers and students scattered in various locations, and a team from the Department of Industrial Design began the project.
Guided by Professor Fan, a team of more than a dozen teachers and students quickly gathered information and elements related to the Asian Winter Games and Harbin's culture. Meeting nightly to brainstorm, they produced 10 detailed proposals within weeks.
The lilac-shaped cauldron plan, centered on Harbin's city flower, stood out from the proposals submitted by 12 bidding entities and won the competition on Sept. 24, 2024. The organizing committee approved the proposal on Oct. 2, and detailed design work began soon after.
The design of the cauldron skillfully integrates regional culture with ice and snow sports to represent key themes of the Games. The lilac, with its resilient and elegant temperament, perfectly embodies the unyielding spirit of the people of Harbin. The crystalline snowflake, a symbol of Harbin as the Ice City, represents purity, peace and passion for winter sports.
A hexagonal snowflake design forms the torch tower's base, which rises 28.55 meters to a three-dimensional, five-petal lilac blossom. The flowing lines create an elegant appearance.
