This year thousands from all over the globe made their way to Guernsey to compete in the Island Games. Against Guernsey’s stunning backdrop, sportsmanship, competition, and unity was celebrated and Guernsey put on quite the show. Sporting talent was showcased, on watchers were inspired, and everyone came together to show their support.
2023 also marks a decade of JGA and to celebrate we wanted to contribute meaningfully to our community and the Island Games was the perfect opportunity. It was the first time in twenty years since Guernsey hosted the games and the island would be represented to the world’s sporting community and further making it a momentous occasion.
In the lead up to the games, we reached out to the Island Games committee to see how we could utilise our expertise and offer our support. We worked with them to form the concept of the opening ceremony water feature. The design needed to encapsulate the spirit of unity that the games represented while adhering to sustainability principles and a modest budget.
The vision was for every competing island to bring over water and pour it into the feature at the opening ceremony. The wheel would also need to be interactive and turn to symbolise the collaborative spirit of the games.
We worked with Chloe Sarr Creative, the visionary designer behind the iconic Island Games medal, to replicate the medal design into the water feature. We then had to work out the mechanics and bring it to life with help from D.W LLoyd, Hamon Fabrication, Dowding Signs, Paint Evolution, Island Electrics and The Little Green Energy Company.
Thanks to architectural creativity and community support, the water featured became a standout piece that represented the games and showed what Guernsey can achieve to a worldwide audience. It meant we could not only show off Guernsey’s sporting talent but also our commitment to innovative design.
The water feature was very popular with hundreds taking photos by it and it will be remembered for many years to come. It is now on show at Footes Lane, operated by solar power. It will serve as a reminder of how successful the Island Games was in Guernsey, sporting prowess and community spirit.
