Peace Bench, Nobel Peace Center, Oslo, Images, Norwegian Architecture Design Project
Peace Bench at Nobel Peace Center in Oslo
International Architecture Initiative, Norway design by Snøhetta
19 Jun 2019
Architects: Snøhetta
Location: Oslo, Norway
Photos © Lars Tornøe
Peace Bench Oslo
The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, has commissioned a new art piece. Designed by Snøhetta and created in partnership with collaborators Hydro and Vestre, the Peace Bench, entitled The Best Weapon, will be first unveiled at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Nelson Mandela Day, July 18th. The installation will remain at the Headquarters’ plaza through September, when the plan is to transfer it to Oslo and a permanent location near the Nobel Peace Center and the Oslo City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually.
As a symbol of diplomacy and dialogue, the installation pays tribute to the Nobel Peace Prize laureates and their efforts to bring people together to find effective solutions for peace. Designed as a partial circle that meets the ground at its lowest point, the gentle arc of the bench pulls those sitting on it closer together. The installation’s singular design gesture embodies an invitation to conversation. Engraved on its surface is Nelson Mandela’s famous quote, “The best weapon is to sit down and talk”, from which the piece derives its name.
“In today’s digitalized and polarized society, sitting down and speaking together might be the most effective tool that we have to find solutions and common ground. We believe in using design as a tool to create lasting symbols that foster fruitful communication,” says Snøhetta founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen.
About Snøhetta
Snøhetta is an international integrated architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, product design and graphic design firm. For 30 years, Snøhetta has designed some of the world’s most notable public and cultural projects. In 2018, Snøhetta designed Arch for Arch, a commemorative arch in Cape Town, South Africa, dedicated to the legacy of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and human rights activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Photography © Lars Tornøe
Peace Bench at Nobel Peace Center, Oslo images / information received 190619 from Snøhetta architects
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