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Thinkwell is Creative Force behind Dynamic Olympic Rings Sculpture Concept

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Thinkwell, a worldwide leader in the creation of experience-based entertainment for theme parks, museums, casinos and retail and resort destinations worldwide, conceived and designed a one-of-its-kind, dramatic mobile sculpture of the Olympic Rings for the twenty-ninth Olympiad in Beijing, China.

Thinkwell worked with the Beijing Olympics, the Office of the Mayor of Beijing and CDM Lighting and Design Group to develop the concept for an Olympic Rings Sculpture to be featured prominently during the Olympic Games.  The goal of the structure was to enliven the lake at the center of the Olympic Green, the main public gathering area at the Games, by creating a high-impact statement providing entertainment both day and night.

Each of the five Olympic Rings in Thinkwell’s conceptual design measured more than 51 feet in diameter and was capable of attaining heights greater than 75 feet.  The rings are individually controlled and soar, dive, rotate and spin, producing an awe-inspiring series of enormous kinetic sculptures.  Additional features of the “living sculpture” included LED lights allowing for changes in color and luminosity, an array of computer-controlled nozzles for water shows, rigging for acrobatic performers, and flame effects for night-time spectaculars at the close of each day of competition.

“Being commissioned to imagine and design an interactive sculpture for the Olympic Green was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, ” said Craig Hanna, a Thinkwell partner and Chief Creative Officer.  “Thinkwell is proud of its reputation for thinking big – in this case really big.”

During the daylight hours, the Olympic Rings appear to float with the breeze, yet in reality, each movement is activated by the real-time processing of raw data output from the Olympic Games.  Scores, time measurements and other types of event data are converted into computer programming sent to the sculpture so that the rings would in fact be moved by the performance of the Olympic athletes.

At night, the rings become a dazzling showpiece by the lake, a hybrid of elegant movement and stunning water and fire effects.  Almost endlessly flexible, the rings were designed to serve as the stage set for live performances and as building-sized projection screens for images of the Olympic athletes.

For more information about Thinkwell’s Olympic Rings sculpture and the company’s other high-profile commissions visit www.thinkwelldesign.com.

About Thinkwell Group

Thinkwell Group is the umbrella company born of one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, Thinkwell Design & Production, to support the creation of new business entities that serve a growing clientele around the world. In addition to its headquarters in Burbank, California, the company operates two regional offices: Thinkwell Europa, a production and sales office in Barcelona, Spain and Thinkwell Arabia, in Media City, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Thinkwell Project Management is the company’s newest business arm, formed to serve clients seeking project supervision expertise. Together, the Thinkwell companies specialize in the turnkey design and production of one-of-a-kind experience-based attractions, exhibits, live shows and environments that have won widespread popular and critical acclaim in addition to industry recognition. Thinkwell’s clientele is comprised of theme parks, museums, professional sports teams, Fortune 500 companies and destination resorts including Harrah’s, Nike, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Universal Studios, MasterCard, Warner Bros., and other premier retail and entertainment organizations worldwide.

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