Olympic Rings for Birmingham’s International Airport

Octink’s brief was to manufacture and install Olympic Rings on either side of the new Air Traffic Control Tower at Birmingham Airport in celebration of the London 2012 Games.The challenge was to produce a durable and high quality product to a set budget and achieve the installation in time for the launch event.

Octink manufactured the two-metre diameter Olympic Rings from sign comp extrusion, selected for its properties of lightness and flexibility. LED technology provided by experts GE Electrics, a worldwide partner of the London 2012 Games, provided high impact night time illumination for visibility both to visitors flying into the airport and motorists for miles around.

Installation of the rings on the Control Tower was carried out at a height of 135 feet over a period of six days and in extreme weather conditions.The rings were unveiled at a special VIP event on Monday, 23rd April 2012, attended by Edwin Moses, the double 400 metres hurdles Olympic champion, and Lee Pearson, the British nine-time para-equestrian champion, and attracted widespread national media coverage.