The official Olympic and Paralympic torches for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games have been unveiled in parallel presentations at the Triennale di Milano and Expo 2025 in Osaka. Titled Essential, the torches were designed by Italian architect Carlo Ratti and his studio, Carlo Ratti Associati, in collaboration with energy partner Eni and its subsidiary Versalis. Taking a minimalist approach, the design strips away excess to spotlight the Olympic flame itself as the true protagonist.
Crafted from recycled aluminium and brass alloy, the torches feature an open structure that reveals the inner workings of the flame’s combustion process—an intentional gesture toward transparency and technological sophistication. The Olympic version is finished in a shifting blue-green gradient, while the Paralympic torch glows in bronze tones, each palette evoking movement, resilience, and the Italian landscape. At just over a kilogram, the lightweight, modular design allows for repeated refueling using bio-LPG derived from renewable sources like used cooking oil.
According to Carlo Ratti, the torch reflects Italy’s spirit of contemporary innovation, designed as both a symbolic and functional object. He describes the piece as “a microcosm of the Olympics itself—built through collaboration and driven by shared ideals.” Following their debut, the torches will remain on view at the Italian Pavilion in Osaka and at the Triennale di Milano until the Games conclude.
Photography courtesy of MILANO CORTINA 2026
