Curtain of Names

Agency

C&G Partners

Practice Area

Client

The Advisory Board Company

Industry

Project Vision

Asked to create an installation recognizing clients of the Advisory Board Company, C&G Partners created an artful, shimmering curtain of names consisting of thousands of translucent, solid rods.

Each translucent rod hosts a single engraved name filled in silver, and a single silver set screw holds it to one of hundreds of numbered wire strands. The curtain, strung like a harp between a luminous ceiling and a marble floor, required the structure of the building to be engineered to bear the weight of the combined tension of the system.

Each name is a single member client of the Advisory Board Company, a global research, technology, and consulting firm in service to health care and higher education. The curtain welcomes arriving members to the Advisory Board’s dedicated client collaboration space in Washington, D.C. A nearby digital surface, recessed into a circular column at the center of the radius of the curve, acts as a touch directory. A moving vertical cascade of names quickly matches institutions to numbered wires, drawing on an underlying database. The C&G designed the curtain, digital interface, and database for rapid, high-capacity expansion as more members join. They chose Benton Sans, Tobias Frère-Jones’ reinterpretation of News Gothic, as the typeface throughout.

Project Details
While donor walls are invariably static, this solution provides a pragmatic solution, allowing additive flexibility but creating a compelling sense of place. It actually engages the user in an active way. The rigorous and detailed design is meticulously executed, resulting in a beautifully integrated installation.
Juror 1
An elegant solution that allows for an ever-evolving composition. The material choice and installation create a beautiful sculptural form with rhythmic edges and interior movement. The silver typography is perfectly paired with the translucent rods to transfer information without competing with the overall form.
Juror 2
The beauty of this solution is in the attention to the fabrication details: the material choices, the etched typography, the fixing of the wires at top and bottom, and the elegant lighting. It's also seamlessly integrated into the architecture.
Juror 3
Design Team

Jonathan Alger (principal in charge); Leah Kasell (project manager); Daniel Fouad, Elle White (3D designers); Eliza Fitzhugh, Yoana Wiman, Claire Niederberger (graphic designers);  Daniel Rodriguez (interactive designer); Zak Greene (developer); Keith Madden (IT)

Design Firm

C&G Partners

Project Area

7,500 sq ft

Project Budget

$165,000

Fabricators

Capitol Museum Services (primary fabricator), Avitecture (primary AV integrator), PPI (AV consultant)