Mike Smith Studio

Since the 9th Century BC a truce has been called for the Olympic Games, to allow safe travel to and from the event. In these modern times, the Truce Wall, or Peace Wall, as it is sometimes known, shows the commitment of the International Olympic Committee to inspire peace through sport.

All athletes, trainers and staff taking part in the games are invited to sign their name or leave messages on the peace wall, to show their support for the Truce.

Each ‘totem’ was made by welding a large steel ‘clamp’ to hold each of the sheets of acrylic in place. This steel piece also held waterproof lights to illuminate the wall at night. They were fabricated and assembled at our workshop, and then transported to the Olympic Park to be lowered into place.

The edges of the acrylic were coated in dichroic film, meaning the totems seemed to change colour as you moved around them. Each totem also bore a message or symbol of the games – many of them quotes by school children.

Between the Olympic and Paralympic games we removed the front and rear panel of each totem, to allow for the new Paralympic-branded messages and symbols to be installed, and proved the Paralympic athletes with a fresh surface to sign.