The Wonders of the Torch at the Olympic Opening Ceremony and The Frenchman Wizard Who Designed It

Editor’s note: In this PaperCity series, “Postcards from Paris,” Donatella Benckenstein chronicles her adventures in the French capital in an Olympic summer. With a Dutch mother and Italian-American diplomat father, Benckenstein was raised all over the world. She was schooled under the French academic and university systems, and anchored herself in Paris, both professionally and privately. Now, this well-traveled sophisticate is back in Paris after living in Houston for more than two decades.

In the third story in this series, Benckenstein depicts Mathieu Lehanneur, innovative designer of the 2024 Olympic torch for the Paris Summer Games, among other alluring inventions.

Mathieu Lehanneur, man behind look of the striking 2024 Olympic torch, is making waves in the world of design. As the creator of the torch and the Olympic cauldron for Paris Olympics, Lehanneur’s innovative touch extends beyond these iconic symbols. His recent accolade as Maison & Objet’s “Designer of the Year” further underscores his impact in the design world.

For Lehanneur designing the Olympic flame, a piece of history, for his home country’s Summer Olympics is a dream come true. 

“As a symbol of cohesion and sharing, it is the veritable key to opening the Games,” Lehanneur told Design Boom. “For Paris 2024, and for the first time in its history, it will play with perfect symmetry to better express a message of equality.”

Lehanneur says he opted for simplicity during the design process, building the balanced torch from recycled steel.  

“I wanted it to be an object that was more pure and appeasing,” Lehanneur tells PaperCity. “One which really symbolizes generosity and fraternity, which are some of the values of the relay.”

At Friday’s Opening Ceremonies, 100-year-old Charles Coste, France’s oldest Olympic champion, memorably took the Olympic flame from his wheelchair before passing it on to French judo legend Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec to light the Olympic cauldron.

Soccer superstar and French World Cup hero Zinedine Zidane and iconic modern tennis players Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams took centerstage in the final torch relay. Even Snoop Dogg got an unforgettable turn carrying Mathieu Lehanneur’s torch.

How a Design Master Works

Ranging from hand-crafted furniture to innovative technology, Lehanneur’s body of work is remarkably multidisciplinary. He works with scientists and startups to create efficient, visually interesting household items, integrating technology and style.

Lehanneur first garnered the international spotlight for the Andrea Air Purifier in 2007. Through a collaboration with David A. Edwards, a former professor of biomedical engineering at Harvard University, this living air filter uses plants to accelerate removal of pollutants. It won “Best Invention of the Year” by Popular Science magazine in 2008. The filter was later displayed at the MoMA museum in New York.

After naming Lehanneur “Designer of the Year,” Maison & Objet asked him to design installations for its yearly interior trade show. In 2024, the theme was “Tech Eden,” a marriage of nature and technology. Lehanneur created a bright yellow flat house adorned with sunny fixtures, sculptures and a rainwater collection and filtration system.

“Tech Eden is an oxymoron that invites us to get back to our roots,” Lehanneur says. “It does this through a mastery of the source code, by combining nature and technology.

“The idea is to use the intelligence of nature and that of the human adventure. It’s also to finally forget any hypothetical dominance over nature so we can construct the basis for a new collaboration between human beings and their environment.”

Where Mathieu Lehanneur Creates

Lehanneur’s creative home base is equally innovative. He designs and manufactures his pieces in-house at what he calls “The Factory.”

In 2023, Lehanneur set up his operations in an industrial brick building located on the periphery of Paris. The space is bright, quiet, spacious, modern and aesthetically streamlined. It’s a cross between a research lab, a carefully-staged showroom and modern offices — all conducive to creating and producing.

“This is where we conceive, develop and sell our creations. This new location represents a significant milestone in the expansion of the brand we founded in 2018,” Lehanneur told Interior Design. “Over the years, our operation has gradually shifted away from the traditional design studio model.

“The Factory embodies this paradigm shift. The idea is to establish our practice as a brand, develop and produce everything ourselves and remove as many intermediaries as possible.”

The tastefully arranged showrooms within the 8,000-square-foot space highlight his contemporary furniture and home accessory designs.

“Later this year, we will inaugurate our new Pied-à Terre in New York,” Lehanneur told Forbes. “It is within this exclusive space, located in one of the most beautiful skyscrapers in the city, that we will install the brand’s latest creations.”

Lehanneur already has a significant following in the United States, and he is excited about his new state-of-the-art presence. His new New York showroom will open in the fall, so American design lovers can appreciate Lehanneur’s artful innovations in person.

In the meantime, take a closer look at the Olympic torch by Lehanneur and appreciate its symbolic design. As he prepares to debut new creations in New York, this torch embodies the spirit of the Games. Vive Paris et les Jeux 2024!

For more information on Lehanneur’s work and his New York showroom, go here.