Place des Nations and Broken Chair
Why is it significant?
Take in the broad granite expanse of Place des Nations, where eighty-four interactive water jets shoot directly from the paving stones in synchronized choreographies.
Key Facts
| Place | Place des Nations and Broken Chair |
|---|---|
| Address | Place des Nations, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland |
| Geo Coordinates | 46.22250, 6.13880 |
| Part of Walk | International Geneva: Palace of Nations and Red Cross Heritage |
| Generated | Generated |
Take in the broad granite expanse of Place des Nations, where eighty-four interactive water jets shoot directly from the paving stones in synchronized choreographies. Redesigned in 2007 by architect Christian Sumi, this public plaza serves as a global forum where citizens from every corner of the earth gather to demonstrate for human rights. Rising dramatically at the center of the plaza is the monumental Broken Chair, one of Geneva's most famous and emotionally stirring contemporary sculptures.
Approach the massive wooden monument to appreciate its staggering dimensions: standing twelve meters tall and constructed from five and a half tons of Douglas fir timber, it depicts a majestic chair with its front left leg shattered halfway down as if severed by an explosion. Created in August 1997 by Swiss artist Daniel Berset for the NGO Handicap International, it was originally intended to remain on the plaza for only three months.
The sculpture was erected to urge heads of state to sign the landmark Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty banning the use, stockpiling, and production of anti-personnel landmines. The visual impact of the mutilated chair resonated so powerfully with the public that citizens demanded it remain permanently opposite the United Nations gate, serving as a constant moral reminder of the human cost of armed conflict.
On warm afternoons, the dancing fountains offer joyful respite to visiting children while international diplomats cross the plaza on their way to treaty negotiations. It is a space where solemn political reality meets vibrant everyday life. The striking presence of this monument reminds every passing diplomat that political decisions made behind palace gates carry profound real-world consequences for innocent civilians living in distant conflict zones.
Cross Avenue de la Paix toward the palatial iron gates to walk along the celebrated Avenue of Flags.