Thomas Heatherwick’s London 2012 Cauldron is the star of this gallery. With dramatic footage and exclusive testimony, we recapture its journey from design to the climactic opening and closing ceremonies.

Every single one of the copper cauldron pieces is different. Each was shaped by hand and some took days to make.

The cauldron was tested secretly at the Olympic Stadium in the middle of the night. Still everyone had their fingers crossed that it would operate perfectly during the Olympic opening ceremony.

The London 2012 Cauldron had a top secret codename. It was called Betty. Even better, it was named after a dog!