A computer generated image of the Olympic Park shows a former industrial wasteland turned a huge urban park (Olympic Park Legacy Company)Source: Sky News
LONDON -- Despite the UK's notoriously wet weather, London's Olympic Stadium will feature rain-producing synthetic clouds for the games' opening ceremony as part of a £27 million ($15.5 million) makeover designed to best represent the country.
The enormous east London stadium will be transformed into a rolling British countryside featuring meadows, rivers, a village green and real farmyard animals, while visitors who truly want a taste of Britain will be able to stand under synthetic clouds suspended from wires above the stadium -- one of which will produce rain.
Britain's four nations will be represented by Maypoles topped with the national flower -- the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales and flax from Northern Ireland -- and the set will feature several British landmarks.
"Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle, who is the artistic director of the games' opening ceremony, praised the 10,000 volunteers involved in the project on Tuesday as he unveiled a model of the stadium.
"The ceremony is an attempt to capture a picture of ourselves as a nation, where we have come from and where we want to be," he said. "The best part of telling that story has been working with our 10,000 volunteers."
He added, "I've been astounded by the selfless dedication of the volunteers, they are the purest embodiment of the Olympic spirit and represent the best of who we are as a nation."
Lord Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), said, "With a worldwide TV audience of a billion people and a cast of over 10,000 talented volunteers, I'm sure that Danny's ceremony will be a fantastic celebration that will welcome the 10,500 athletes from around the world and make our nation proud."
Work is now underway to create the set in time for the opening event on July 27.
Read More: Synthetic rain clouds to feature in Britain's £27M Olympic opening ceremony
