O2 in Berlin: one word across the whole length of the wall

The wall is made of individual concrete panels, and the lettering runs across all of them. Where one panel ends, the letter carries on. The joints show how many segments the lettering covers, and that nobody finishes this alone.

One word that runs across the joints

There is no picture on this wall and no collection of single motifs. There is one word, in large round letters with a black outline, filled in white, blue and orange, with rows of dots as decoration. On the left, at the start, sits the o2 mark. To the right the lettering runs out of the frame.

The vertical joints between the concrete panels are visible through the letters. They give away how many segments the word occupies. Lettering of this length is not something a handful of people finish on the side.

The wall tells you the size, not the attendance list

Anyone who has to get a creative format approved internally is asked for the group size and names a number. On the day itself, though, a different measure decides whether everyone is busy: the length of the paintable surface divided by the space a person needs with an outstretched arm.

A continuous lettering brings its own division with it. Every letter is a workstation, and the letters stand side by side instead of one behind the other. That is why, at the enquiry stage, we ask for the group size and then for how much wall or surface you have available. If the second figure does not match the first, you would rather notice that four weeks ahead than on the day.

Public means: someone is watching

The wall stands along a railway line. On top of it sits a mesh fence, behind it stand trains, and above it runs a bridge with passers-by. To the right and left, on the bridge and around it, are other people's pieces.

A backyard can be closed off, this surface cannot. Whoever works here is seen from the bridge, and for some groups that is an argument for and for others against. Tell us beforehand how your people feel about it. Where the public setting is wanted, it is the real reason to choose a wall like this over a booked hall.

What stays there afterwards

The result stays on the wall. It does not come back to the office, and it stands next to what others painted before.

That rules some things out. Anyone who needs a piece to take away is better served with canvases. Anyone with a group that is too big for a canvas and too good for a booked hall sees here what a length of wall can hold.

Frequently asked questions about this project

How do I work out how much wall my group needs?

How much surface one person needs depends on the motif: with a continuous lettering like this one it is less than with a free picture, because nobody is waiting for a section of their own. From the group size and the available wall length the division can still be roughly estimated; it only becomes binding in conversation.

This estimate is deliberately rough, and it is still enough for a first check. It only tips in two directions. Downwards, if the group is to work in shifts: then half the length is enough, but the session takes longer. Upwards, if everyone is to work at the same time: then you need the full length plus some room at the edges, otherwise two people get in each other's way on the same letter. At O2 the result shows which option was chosen: the lettering stretches across every concrete panel of the visible wall. For your enquiry, two figures are therefore enough, the group size and the approximate length of the surface available to you. We work out the rest from that.

What does it mean to paint on a wall in public view?

That bystanders can watch without you controlling it. At O2 a bridge with passers-by crosses the surface, and behind it runs a railway line.

That has two sides, and both belong on the table before the date is set. For many groups the public setting is the real appeal, because afterwards someone actually sees the result instead of it disappearing in a closed yard. For others it is the point where individual people do not want to take part, and that cannot be resolved on site. So settle it within the team before the date is fixed, not on the way to the wall. Add to that the fact that a public wall is never empty. It carries older layers and other people's work, which you should keep in mind when choosing the motif. If you want neither, we suggest a format on a booked surface or on canvases instead.