The Best Weapon
for the Nobel Peace Center
2018–2021
Introduction
The installation, which also acts as a bench, is titled The Best Weapon after Nelson Mandela's historic quote, The best weapon is to sit down and talk. It pays tribute to Nelson Mandela's humane ideals of compromise, dialogue, and compassion and other Nobel Peace Prize laureates and their efforts to bring people together to find effective solutions for peace. Commissioned by the Nobel Peace Center, The Best Weapon was first installed outside the UN Headquarters in New York on Nelson Mandela Day in July 2019.
Technical details
Dialogue and conversation
The six-and-a-half meter-long installation is designed by Snøhetta to encourage dialogue and peaceful conversation and is created in partnership with Hydro and Vestre.
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, subsequently and subtly encouraging dialogue.
Marius Myking Director of Product Design at Snøhetta
Made from green aluminium
The installation is made from anodized aluminum from Hydro. This aluminium is the world's greenest, with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than the industry average. In addition to creating a beautiful surface, the anodized finish of the bench has high corrosion resistance and protection against scratching.
It is produced by Vestre in a completely carbon-neutral process. Bead-blasted and pre-distressed, the sturdy material will ensure the bench's longevity, promoting diplomacy and dialogue for many years to come.
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