Back by popular demand,
In an exclusive ST gallery, photographer Barry Allen captured how Vancouver's Olympic Games and Olympic signage captivated the world.
The 2010 Winter Olympics were billed as the “Sea to Sky Games,” and, from waterfront venues in Vancouver to the soaring ski jumps in Whistler, a wide variety of signs covered the landscape. While the Canadians draped iconic statues and even downtown buildings in symbols of national pride, they welcomed the world with ubiquitous Olympic banners and signs decorated with the blue tones of the sea-to-sky theme.
The multilingual nature of the Games demands that signage rely on icons to inform spectators. From the large-format graphics that dominate specific venues to the pictograms affixed to first-aid centers and food courts, the signage at Olympic games require a distinct simplicity of purpose
The Olympic sign designers’ challenge is to make these signs fresh and distinctive and, at the same time, familiar. Enjoy!
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