Combining the words "edifice" and "edify" into one structure, this construction enclosure for Seattle's new symphony hall even included graphics on top, so that people in surrounding high-rise buildings could read them. Pictures and text, mounted on standard scaffolding, showed that the spirit of a building exists before its walls are built.
These temporary, celebratory graphics painted the "face" of one of Sydney's most famous landmarks, the David Jones Department Store. Always considered friendly and personal, the store is famous for serving "the women of Sydney." Giant photos of 134 Sydney women, including the store's eldest customer, 101-year-old Edith Whitlock, covered every window. The project included both color and black and white photos, which ranged in size, some taking up only one window, some covering three or four stories.
Made of tin cans, the donor wall for a food bank graphically represents the building's purpose and importance of donation. A simple grid identifies the donors by name and the size of their gifts. Sandblasted blue acrylic circles, painted on the backs of the cans, identify the donors. Clear acrylic circles are used to identify donor levels.
Restored, reinterpreted and remounted in 1996, the fourth-floor fossil halls at the American Museum of Natural History are home to many world-renowned specimens. New graphics help communicate new scientific thinking about evolution, and help visitors understand the practice of science. The Hall of Vertebrate Origins explains how early vertebrates came out of the oceans on to land. Specimens and models are hung overhead, with labels on railing beneath them. All exhibits in the main path can be taken apart with a hex wrench, useful for special events and dining occasions.
An alternate workspace for Gensler's San Francisco Retail and Graphic studios, this 2,800-square-foot, street level space demonstrates the company's approach to design. There are workstations but no offices, and resources are shared. The conference room and entry façade feature giant typographic dingbats as window graphics. Only a small sign (knee-level window graphics) identifies the studio. Non-traditional graphics are scattered throughout the studio.
A comprehensive wayfinding program helps people navigate the complex set of buildings that comprise the museum. Signs range in size from giant site models to small gallery identification signs. Design and type are consistent throughout.
This design for San Francisco's streets was meant to solve the ongoing problem of people dumping automobile oil into the storm drains and polluting San Francisco Bay. Stenciled warnings near existing drains, the designer felt, need constant maintenance and do little to deter people who already know they shouldn't dump. The proposed grate, shaped like a fish, would graphically challenge people by making their dirty deed concrete: dumping oil on a fish.
The client, an architectural and construction magazine publisher, wanted a high-end design that nevertheless connected it to the "industry." A combination of industrial materials and lights, together with stylish, curved walls and "ceilings," was the result. Oversized color reproductions of magazine covers were displayed in a surprising, dramatic way. The centerpiece conference room was framed by curving, black-framed shoji screens. A distinctive table finished the look.
Four walking tours through downtown Manhattan link 50 historic and contemporary sites with freestanding interpretive graphic panels. Colored dots set into the pavement and hand-held maps are wayfinding aids. Visitors can plan their days and preview their tours at interactive video kiosks.
This hip exhibit was designed to help Intel overcome its stodgy image and appeal to a twentysomething crowd of film and computer video animators. To attract this lucrative market, Intel's exhibit featured giant "polygon people," demo videos shown in internally illuminated fiberglass orbs, a giant video wall and live performances. Most of the materials are recyclable and all are reusable. Instead of running in the background, Intel's video wall was an integral part of its live presentation.
