Milano Cortina 2026 unveils the Olympic and Paralympic torches.

Designed by Carlo Ratti Associati, the architecture practice of famed Italian architect, urban planner and thinker Carlo Ratti, the Milano Cortina 2026 torches are called Essential, a tribute to its minimalist design that employs innovative technology to reduce usage of materials, letting the flame be the true protagonist of the show.

The torches were developed by Eni (premium partner of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games), in collaboration with Versalis, official supporter of The Games.

“We understood from the very start that what’s important isn’t the torch, but the flame. So we started to think how we could avoid designing the torch in a way, and emphasise the power and beauty of the flame instead.” – Carlo Ratti

A leading figure in contemporary urban planning, Carlo Ratti is known for blending technological innovation with the built environment. Whether he’s conceiving of small objects or whole buildings, his work takes the interactions with the environment and society as a starting point. His design for the torches embraces sustainability through innovation and minimalism, eliminating the unnecessary and using the least resources possible. The sleek design also features a narrow opening at the top which allows the public to witness how the flame is generated within the torch; emphasising it as the true focal point of the design.

“When it comes to the Olympic torch, the core is something that’s very sophisticated but the design exercise is usually about covering it, similar to car design where you build something around the engine. What we wanted to do is to minimise what we put around the core, and not to do something redundant for the sake of form.” – Carlo Ratti

Engineered and produced by Cavagna, Essential is 100 percent made in Italy, crafted from a recycled aluminum and brass alloy with a highly reflective finish that interacts with the changing territories and landscapes surrounding it. The two versions of Essential, Olympic and Paralympic, differ in colour: the former in blue-green hues and the latter in bronze tones.

“When people think about Italy they think about innovation but usually in the past. But there is so much innovation happening today in Italy, and that’s what we wanted to bring to the design of the torch.” – Carlo Ratti

Beyond the usage of recycled materials for the exteriors, the torch’s burner will run on bio-LPG made exclusively from renewable raw materials such as cooking oil and residues from the agricultural industry. Essential was also built with a system that allows it to be reused and refilled up to 10 times, reducing the total production of the torches.

“For me the Olympics is all about collaboration, and the creation of the torch was also about collaboration. In a way, the torch is a microcosm of the whole Olympics.” – Carlo Ratti