Bond Street Wharf
Project Vision
Fells Point, one of Baltimore’s oldest neighborhoods, began as a bustling shipbuilding and shipping center in colonial America and is today experiencing a revival. The area retains its charm with cobblestone streets, old saloons, and countless boats – many still carrying goods to harbor-side warehouses such as Bond Street Wharf, a structure recently rebuilt after it was burned down for the movie Avalon.
The design team set out to capture the industrial fortitude of Fells Point, while adding a modern twist symbolizing its journey into the future. “Bond Street Wharf” was painted on the exterior wall, providing a highly recognizable landmark. The second-level lobby walls greet visitors with stenciled local and company history.
Signs covered in graphics of Fells Point line the inner edges of the office space, offering orientation and wayfinding. In the large downstairs conference room, the same muted bicolor photographs cover circular tables. Glass sliding doors that separate offices from the studio are screened by obstructed, blown-up photographs of the company’s projects. Budgetary and sustainability issues promoted the use of recycled materials such as old metal art bearing the company’s name and photographs of its founders used in new and innovative ways.
Project Details
A successful expression of corporate culture, work style, and local history. The effect is both expressive and appropriately restrained, welcoming and contextual without becoming overbearing or overly philosophical.
Design Team
Phillips Engelke (Principal in Charge), Charlie Greenawalt, Jennifer Cardinal, Jennifer Barnes, Keith Kellner
Design Firm
ID8 of RTKL
Fabricators
Lockwood Sign