The Perelman Arts District
The Perelman Arts District is “where the arts happen” on the campus of Brown University. The district includes 16 venues that punctuate the urban landscape of College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island. These dynamic spaces serve formal purposes, in the academic, visual arts, and performing arts arenas, and also feature informal spaces for student gatherings. Programmatically, the venues have a cohesive identity as the core of the arts at Brown. However, they are visually separate, spread over a few square miles, and interspersed among other University buildings as well as non-University affiliated businesses, restaurants, and residences.
The Challenge
To ensure that the wayfinding fit seamlessly into the existing campus signage system of the University, our team effectively layered the new signage system onto the existing infrastructure. We positioned the square logo (designed by in-house team at Brown)–rendered in the signature Bold Red from Brown’s coat of arms–as the unifying factor. Across a range of signage typologies and numerous types of high quality materials, including steel, porcelain, glass and patented resin LIGHTBLOCKS™, the University Red squares act as the connective tissue.
Project Vision
The team prioritized consistency, and also took a bespoke approach, strategically incorporating subtle differences among the red squares, depending on the conditions of each building, the surroundings, and the function of the signage in the broader wayfinding system.
Pylon with illuminated topper (patented LIGHTBLOCKS) fixed atop a black powdercoated base with an integrated, illuminated and interchangeable map. Pylon coordinated with urban planners and stoneworks.
Eric Petschek
Pylon with illuminated topper (patented LIGHTBLOCKS) fixed atop a black powdercoated base with an integrated, illuminated and interchangeable map. Pylon coordinated with urban planners and stoneworks.
Eric Petschek
Design + Execution
Our team recognized that the Perelman Arts District map–the first such wayfinding system implemented across the university–provides a placemaking service to guests and students. The process of developing the map design involved a complex network of stakeholders, between the university and local community. To ensure ongoing flexibility, we designed the large pylons that display the map as a modular system that the University can easily update the map as the campus grows and evolves. The monochromatic purity of the illuminated red square–the first instance Brown has ever illuminated their signage Bold Red–on the blackened steel base creates a visually striking landmark whose colors have been part of Brown’s identity for nearly 200 years.
Porcelain Perelman Arts District (PAD) logo attached to left of typical campus signage, forming a modular system. New framing system designed to support the newly added PAD logo.
Eric Petschek
Porcelain Perelman Arts District (PAD) logo attached to left of typical campus signage, forming a modular system. New framing system designed to support the newly added PAD logo.
Eric Petschek
Campus ADA bollards received PAD logo, with logo extruded to the specific depths per each bollard. Each build bollard carried unique measurements, requiring custom cubes modeled and fabricated per location.
Eric Petschek
Porcelain Perelman Arts District (PAD) logo attached to left of typical campus signage, forming a modular system. New framing system designed to support the newly added PAD logo.
Eric Petschek
Project Details
Design Team
Studio Loutsis
Photo Credits
Eric Petschek
Open Date
October 20, 2023