Royal Thai Pavilion Roof Tile Signing

media release: Sunday, January 28 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Over two decades ago, the Royal Thai Pavilion was erected here at Olbrich, a symbol of international friendship and cooperation at a time of global turmoil and uncertainty. Just days after the September 11 attacks, community members came together at the Gardens to write messages of peace and hope on the undersides of the iconic yellow roof tiles before they were installed on the sala.

Together, those tiles bore a collective, silent prayer that hung unseen above the heads of hundreds of thousands of visitors who would come to experience the quiet majesty of the pavilion in years to come.

Today, the sala still stands proudly gleaming, but the intervening years have left it a bit worse for wear. An extensive restoration is currently underway, including a full replacement of the roof with all new tiles better suited to withstand our changing seasons. These tiles arrived Wednesday morning in the back of a truck, after traveling overseas through the port of New York, and then by train to Chicago.

This is where you come in! We are inviting the community to return to the Gardens this Sunday, January 28, to adorn these new tiles with your own unique messages, imbuing them for decades with the hopes, dreams, and concerns of our own time.

We will open to the public at 10 a.m. on Sunday and tiles will be available to sign in the Frautschi Family Learning Center. There is no cost to participate, and tiles will be available until 4 p.m. or until we run out. We hope you are able to join us for this special day!