2022 Commonwealth Games Legacy Garden: The Mosaics

Constructing a path of mosaics in the Peace Garden

Here is a brief video that gives an overview of the mosaic slabs laid within the garden:

There are a range of mosaics paving slabs laid in the St. Thomas Church Peace Garden that have been installed as part of the memorial landscape works for the the Common Wealth Games 2022 Legacy. They were designed and made by members of the surrounding local community. The mosaics were designed and constructed to represent the Spirit of Birmingham, the Spirit of Sport, the spirit of the commonwealth nations and the spirit of gardening. A range of adults learning groups, secondary academy students and primary school pupils have designed and a constructed these mosaics showing lots of care and attention both in design and structure to create something completely bespoke to remember the games that happened in Birmingham in summer 2022.

Preparing the wooden mold to build the mosaic in
Pressing the stones into the base to make a picture
Filling in a round the stone designs
the slab has been cast in concrete
The finished mosaic is brushed and cleaned ready to lay

The Commonwealth flag has also been incorporated into a design and made to look like a flower because it is in a garden.

This is a design based on the commonwealth nations flag represented as a flower.

The Spirit of Birmingham – Birmingham has been represented in a number of different types of designs that celebrate what makes this city famous and historic. Can you see any famous landmarks of Birmingham represented in mosaics such as Selfridges or The townhall? Can you spot the manufacturing aspect of Birmingham’s past such as buttons and umbrellas? Can you see the factories that Birmingham is famous for when you visit the peace garden? A series of mosaics also represents the canals that were the life veins once of Birmingham, as well as a steam Beam Engine that is associated with James Brindley.

A mosaic representing the iconic Selfrideges building
The Iconic Selfridges
The beam engine, narrow boat, and factories that represent Birmingham
Birmingham was famous for making buttons at one time.
Birmingham used to have a Paracel factory.

The Spirit of Sport and the Commonwealth Games – can you see different types of sport represented in the mosaics that have been laid? There is weightlifting, fencing, track racing, football, tennis, sailing and more. There is also the different logos associated with the Commonwealth Games these have distinct shapes such as a heart or triangles see if you can find them in the garden.

The spirit of sport and games.
The heart of England Commonwealth Games logo
The Spirit of water sports
The Commonwealth Games logo
A Badmington Shuttle Cock

The spirit of the commonwealth nations– this was particularly given over to to schools to look at the commonwealth nations and they have been encapsulated in their continents. There are are 6 different continents I have been represented in the garden and different schools designed the mosaics and then constructed them. You will need to be able to find South America, Asia, North America, Europe, australasia and Africa. 2 mosaics have been laid side by side to represent whole globe because of big part of the world came to visit Birmingham in 2022 to celebrate solidarity and sport.

Africa mosaic constructed by Percy Shurmer Academy
Africa folk art slab design by Percy Shurmer Academy
Installing the Mosaics in the Peace Garden
Designing a South American Mosaic by Cardinal Wiseman School
South America by Cardinal Wiseman School
Constructing one half of the globe

The Spirit of Gardening– the peace garden is a place of sanctuary and Solitude in a very busy important City. It has wonderful mature trees and and represents loss through War and conflict but also so is a symbol of healing and Peace. Gardening is a wonderful way of bringing the community together whether that is in in enjoying the park and it’s beautiful flowers or rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands Dirty by planting seeds and flowers. There are mosaics that have different types of flowers designed and incorporated into to their face. In particular can you spot the peace lily?