Signage

Spatial Orientation
GNAG
 SIG
GE
Spatial
Orientation

Beate Kling
Torsten Krüger
“When information is brushed against information,
the results are startling and effective.”

Herbert Marshall McLuhan

 1 2
WHY SIGNAGE SPACE AND SIGNS

10 Prologue – 34 Integrated
Orientation is life signage
Beate Kling Hubert Nienhoff

14 KATTA CIVIC POLYCLINIC, J 42 GREEN POINT STADIUM, SA

16 SURRY HILLS LIBRARY & COMMUNITY 46 BERLIN BRANDENBURG
CENTRE, AUS AIRPORT, D
18 FORUM NOVÁ KAROLINA, CZ 48 THE COOPER UNION, USA

20 Red doors, green 50 Corporate identity –

doors, yellow doors Building identity
Falk Jaeger Torsten Krüger

24 STUDENT QUARTER, 56 MUSEION, I

OLYMPIC VILLAGE, D 60 9H CAPSULE HOTEL, J
28 SENZOKU GAKUEN 62 ADIDAS LACES, D
COLLEGE OF MUSIC, J
30 INDUSTRIESCHULE SPORTS HALL, D
 3 4 5
PLANNING SIGNAGE REALISING SIGNAGE FACTS

68 Integration 124 Analogue communi- 156 Project data

of signs cation of information 162 Standards, guidelines,
regulations
and space Beate Kling
163 Literature
Ruedi Baur
163 Photo credits
130 MORISAWA HEAD OFFICE, J 165 Authors
74 STACHUS PASSAGEN, D 132 LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR BALTIC SEA 166 Index
78 MÉDIATHÈQUE ANDRÉ MALRAUX, F RESEARCH, D
167 Imprint
82 HOLON DESIGN MUSEUM, IL 134 PFALZBAU THEATRE, D

84 Universal design 136 Digital communication

Beate Kling of information
Michael Schwanke-Seer

88 FAMILY BOX, CN
92 UNDERGROUND CAR PARK, 144 CIUDAD DE LAS ARTES Y LAS CIENCIAS, E
HOCHHAUS AM PARK, D
146 VIENNA AIRPORT CHECK-IN 3, A
94 VOLKSSCHULE TSCHAGGUNS, A
150 BRÜHLTOR-PASSAGE, CH

96 Analysis and 152 Epilogue – The

systematic specifica- iconography of the
tion of information third millennium
requirements Torsten Krüger
Beate Kling

102 UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL GREIFSWALD, D

106 BERNAQUA, CH
108 SIGNTERIOR, CN

110 Orientation design

Torsten Krüger

116 ORDNUNGSAMT STADT FRANKFURT, D

118 NAGASAKI PREFECTURAL ART MUSEUM, J
120 ETH SPORT CENTER SCIENCE CITY, CH
1 WHY
SIGNAGE

10 Prologue – Orientation is Life

Beate Kling

14 KATTA CIVIC POLYCLINIC, Shiroishi, J

16 SURRY HILLS LIBRARY & COMMUNITY CENTER, Sydney, AUS
18 FORUM NOVÁ KAROLINA, Ostrava, CZ

20 Red Doors, Green

Doors, Yellow Doors
Falk Jaeger

24 STUDENT QUARTER, OLYMPIC VILLAGE, Munich, D

28 SENZOKU GAKUEN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, Kawasaki, J
30 SPORTS HALL, INDUSTRIESCHULE, Chemnitz, D
1 WHY SIGNAGE
Beate Kling
Prologue –
10
11 Orientation is life
Modern civilisation seems to be driven forwards by new
media, by the flood of information they generate and by the
effects of this saturation. Our information- and science-based
society makes it possible, essential even, for knowledge and
communication to be transformed with the aid of digital infor-
mation technologies, in real time and in seemingly infinite
abundance, into information which can be accessed quickly
and which is permanently available. In order to make infor-
mation useful and accessible, it needs to be processed and
organised – orientation is essential for this purpose.
For example, some members of society are calling for more
grassroots democratic participation in the form of “liquid
democracy”, and demand more transparency. However, does
transparency, with the surfeit of information it entails, create
more trust and thus improve orientation? Or is this trust dis-
placed by the increasing degree of control which the trans-
parency process brings with it? 1 Does transparency, then,
lead to better orientation or is the decision simply to trust
the more expedient choice in terms of achieving orientation,
because control restricts freedom of action?
The complexity of these issues is increasing all the time, and
demands continuous orientation; occasionally this also gives
rise to a need for collective validation. This urge for reas-
surance becomes more pronounced with increasing loss of
orientation.
Orientation is thus a crucial aspect of human behaviour, it
forms an important basis for existence. A person who loses
their sense of orientation can suffer the loss of one of their
most fundamental capacities, their independence, possibly
their self-esteem and their sense of identity.
“As perspective is lost, so the need for orientation increases.
[…] People only feel at ease where they have a clear percep-
tion of things.” 2 However, clarity cannot be achieved purely
through order; identity, differentiation and hierarchies are
also necessary for the further categorisation of information.
Identity, the unity of thought, feeling and action, is an impor-
tant prerequisite for our ability to make individual decisions
concerning orientation. Differences form the basis for differ-
entiation, because identity is inconceivable without distinc-
tion from the other. Where identity exists, this implies a differ-
ence to others. But it is differentiation and distinction which
makes orientation possible in the first place, in society and in
science, in markets and in the media: for example, it provides
the rationale for the existence of instruments such as corpo-
rate identities or brands.3
What is The philosopher and linguist Heidrun
orientation? Kämper has studied the semantics
of the term “orientation” in depth.4 In
addition to situationally defined interpretations like position
and fixity (stability) and goal-oriented interpretations such as
positioning and direction, for her, as well as examining its
original usage and the contexts in which it is used, the mean-
ing of the term can also be considered in the light of Imma-
nuel Kant’s reflections. In his essay “What Does it Mean to Ori-
ent Oneself in Thinking?”, published in 1786, Kant already
recognised the importance of orientation on three levels: as
derived directly from the word “orient”, in the sense of identi-
fying the cardinal directions by the rising sun, that is to say
orienting oneself geographically; on a second, spatial level,
namely within a given space, that is to say mathematically;
and on the abstract level of thinking, i.e. logically. The use of
the term “orientation” is bipolar – it is used in both a negative
and a positive sense, that is to say, with reference to the loss
of orientation or its acquisition.5
In summary, Kämper arrives at the conclusion that “orienta-
tion […] is an ordering concept of human consciousness which
guides decision-making and action”.6 Ultimately, orientation
represents a social technique – life and survival depend on
orientation. However, it cannot function without independent
thinking. For example, however clear signage systems may
be in spatial contexts, the active use of such systems is a con-
dition for their success.
In further examining the term “orientation” and its meaning,
we now need to look more closely at the way it is used.
How is orienta- Humans are equipped with qualities,
tion achieved? on both a biological level and a neu-
rological level, which naturally ena-
ble them to orient themselves. In the first instance it is our
senses – vision, smell, touch, hearing, taste – which send us
signals to assist us in making a decision. The function of the
senses is to take in, process and store information. In doing so
they create experiences which can be recalled and so influ-
ence new decisions. The individual senses assume increased
importance for purposes of orientation if one or more of them
is restricted or not available at all. The basis of perception is
shifted. This is of particular importance for accessible build-
ing, when supplementary or additional orientation aids are
used to compensate for deficits.
But what are the processes which enable us to make deci-
sions? According to discoveries in neurology, orientation is
developed when our existing perception of a particular event
collides with our experience of subsequent or peripheral
events and these are then placed in relative perspective. This
collision may possibly initiate corrective processes for think-
ing and action – and thus assist in achieving orientation.7
Where does Orientation is of importance in
orientation social, political, economic and even
take place? religious contexts, as evidenced by
catchwords such as “value orienta-
tion” or “basic orientation”. However, orientation also plays a
role in the movement of markets, in the information society
and in human interaction. Moreover, when decisions on direc-
tion are made on the basis of the sum total of knowledge
acquired and the results lead into a new dimension, this can
open up new perspectives.
Orientation in geographical-spatial contexts, that is to say
in  natural or designed landscapes and urban spaces, both
indoors and outdoors, functions best if these spaces are
self-explanatory, i.e. if the chosen structure already provides
orientation and this aspect was integrated at the design
stage. This is possible if the design is conceived as a holistic
process.
However, interacting with the media available today also
requires orientation. We are permanently surrounded by
both analogue and digital mass-media. It is not we ourselves
who seem to determine our life, but increasingly the influ-
ence the media has on us. As far back as 1964, Herbert Mar-
shall McLuhan, regarded as the founder of 20th century
media theory, summarised his insights in the mantra “the
medium is the message”. He argued that it was not the con-
tent which a medium communicates but the medium itself
and its properties which influence the society in which the
medium exists. In doing so he drew attention to the continu-
ally increasing need for orientation which arises through the
continuous interaction between a medium and society. The
fascination of digital media lies not in their multifunctionality;
rather, the unconscious effect originates from the media itself,
which not only combine a wealth of functions with good
design, but above all can serve as a metaphor for lifestyle and
social status.
Orientation is an So who provides orientation, and
aspect of culture how is it provided? For Heidrun
Kämper the important thing is, “what
orientation means – for those who seek, need or wish to
acquire orientation; and for those who offer, provide or prom-
ise orientation and thus shape social conditions”.8 If we are
able to perceive and interpret the complex levels and prin-
ciples of today’s pluralism, we can derive principles for orien-
tation from these. In addition to the initial increase in under-
standing, the concept of responsibility plays a crucial role
here. Orientation is only possible if responsibility and inde-
pendent action are permitted by society itself. Ultimately, it is
conceivable that each individual will then be able to provide
their own orientation.
Orientation is a high-precision instrument which we use for
the continuous process of navigating our way through our
environment. Our degree of orientation is a measure of the
existential orientation of the self, our relationship with others
and with the other, of the state of a society. Looking at Greek
society today for example, we can see how the ability of a
society’s structures to function can be seriously disturbed if
overall social orientation is lost.
This shows that providing and visualising orientation is no
longer simply the concern of the creative disciplines, it in-
volves a broad range of services, provided by people to peo-
ple, founded on the basis of different specialist disciplines,
on scientific findings, accumulated experience, acquired
knowledge, and also belief.
To be oriented is positive, because it brings certainty, re -
assures, gives us time to think.
1
Prologue –
WHY SIGNAGE Orientation is life
12
13
Unity and Orientation and the actions associ-
identity ated with it are psychological stimuli
which, through the decisions which
continually need to be made, more or less consciously influ-
ence, structure, delay or accelerate our daily life, as well as
influencing the direction of our actions. The ability to orient
oneself is an essential survival skill which is fundamental to
human behaviour – on the one hand it allows us to orient our-
selves as individuals within social structures, in media, within
markets, in short, within society, and to position ourselves
within this society; on the other hand it enables us to recog-
nise spatial contexts and reach desired destinations within
these. The illustration of orientation is therefore correspond-
ingly important within the context of space, both within build-
ings as well as outdoors and in urban areas.
A wide range of different disciplines are concerned with the
design, both visually and in terms of content, of orientation
within these spaces, pursuing the same goal with a greater or
lesser degree of coordination depending on the specified or
chosen requirements profile. The integration of orientation
elements in the structural context of global, urban or land-
scape structures requires the collaboration of architects and
specialist engineers, lighting designers, communications and
media designers and designers of digital information tech-
nologies, including theoretical disciplines. Another partner
of equal status and importance here is the client, who will
in turn have their own requirements. The cooperation of all
these disciplines is essential for success and, more and more,
a necessary response to the increasingly complex demands
of our time.
In this context the end product, the building, is taking on an
increasingly multifaceted significance. It is no longer simply
a  shell designed – however well – to fulfil certain functions.
Architectural structures are increasingly burdened with ex-
pectations in terms of a fundamental communication func-
tion which, initially, seems to have little or nothing what-
soever to do with the building itself. Even on first contact,
that is to say within the wider environment of a company
or institution, one is already confronted with issues of iden-
tification, with the display of corporate culture and corpo-
rate goals, of identity and brand – with signage. This suppos-
edly secondary product in the design of buildings is, from
the client’s viewpoint, increasingly becoming a primary
means of achieving visibility within the finely intermeshed,
ever more uniform network of global and regional compe-
tition and of providing the target public with orientation.
The means employed range from the design of simple
aids to orientation to complex information, orientation and
signage systems, from the company’s corporate identity
to  the design of buildings which translate the messages
communicated by a brand or institution into architectural
structures – messages which also need to be understood in
this form.
Fundamentally, signage involves more than simply trying to
provide answers to the questions “Where do I find what?” or
“Where do I need to go?”. It doesn’t simply provide informa-
tion, it enhances its reception with the aid of expanded con-
tent by combing architecture, design and digital information
technologies with colour theory, psychology and neuropsy-
chology, sensory perception and cultural identity. The delib-
erate integration of architectural structures with orientation
and signalling components as well as the projection onto
architectural spaces of corporate policy goals such as brand
development and brand management ideally culminates in
a “building identity”, the extension and objectified embodi-
ment of the corporate identity – from CI to BI (see Corporate
Identity – Building Identity, p. 50– 55).
Orchestration The orchestration of signage is in-
and integration creasingly becoming an important
element in buildings design. For
example, new communication technologies make it possible
to locate destinations in buildings in advance using the in-
ternet, or on site through interactive GPS navigation, and are
increasingly being used to supplement conventional informa-
tion systems; in the future they may even replace these. The
fundamental objective here must be integration rather than
addition.
However, the integration of orientation systems in the archi-
tecture can only succeed if the brief is formulated at an early
stage in the planning process and the necessary partners
involved in good time. It is vital that the client, in particular
public sector clients, be made aware of the importance of this
aspect. Often enough, after all the budgets and schedules
have been finalised, the bare minimum necessary – or at least
the cheapest option – is commissioned, or even temporary
measures resorted to. One of the aims of this publication is to
raise and focus awareness of this aspect, and of the necessity
of integrating signage as a matter of course.
Different approaches have been taken in achieving this inte-
gration. For example, the Dutch communications designer
Paul Mijksenaar speaks of “Instructional Design”9, that is to
say instructional, self-explanatory design providing unam-
biguous signals. However, the task can also be understood
as involving the “creation of space at the interface between
architecture, communication design and new technologies” 10.
The concept of Universal Design, originated by the American
Ronald L. Mace, goes even further. This ambitious approach
is aimed at ensuring that all environments and products can
be used in all circumstances by all people, irrespective of
their age, abilities and situation in life. Signage represents an
important aspect in this context.
Interaction In addition to examining these as-
pects, this book explores the inter-
faces between architecture and communication design as
well as media and information technologies. These tran-
sitions are fluid. The contributions made by the different
disciplines illustrate the differences in approach; a mutual
influence and awareness between disciplines is the intention
and goal of these collaborations.
This publication is intended to present a comprehensive over-
view of the complexity of the different aspects of signage
which need to be taken into consideration, as well as the
different tools which are available for the design of signage
and orientation systems and the wealth of possibilities they
offer. In this way it can serve as a guideline for planning and
interaction between interdisciplinary partners.
1 Han, Byung-Chul: In the Realm of the Nameless Nude. In: Tagesspiegel,
29th April 2012
2 Geberzahn, W. O.: As perspective is lost, so the need for orientation
increases. In: Lutsch, Christian; Lahaye, Heinz-Peter (eds.): Positions.
Orientation in Society, Science and Media. Implications for the Design
of Processes and Strategies. Ostfildern-Ruit 2003, p. 11 et seq..
3 ibid.
4 Kämper, Heidrun: Orientation – Semantics of a Keyword. In: Lutsch,
Christian; Lahaye, Heinz-Peter (eds.): Positions. Orientation in Society,
Science and Media. Implications for the Design of Processes and
Strategies. Ostfildern-Ruit 2003, p. 18 – 35
5 ibid.
6 ibid., p. 34
7 Linke, Detlef B.: Orientation in Thinking. A Neuroscientific Perspective.
In: Lutsch, Christian; Lahaye, Heinz-Peter (eds.): Positions. Orientation in
Society, Science and Media. Implications for the Design of Processes and
Strategies. Ostfildern-Ruit 2003, p. 174 –180
8 see footnote 6
9 Mijksenaar, Paul; Westendorp, Piet: Open Here. The Art of Instructional
Design. New York 1999
10 http://www.jmayerh.de/88-0-Profile.html
1
KATTA CIVIC POLYCLINIC
SHIROISHI, J
Signage: Hara Design Institute, Tokyo

POLYCLINIC Minimalistic The white surfaces used throughout the

Red as a signal colour building create an immediate association
with the idea of health. The colour red
chosen for the signage in the examination and consultation rooms as well
as the modified logo of the International Red Cross symbolise assistance
and healing. All necessary information, reduced to the essential, is marked
on the floor and walls, performing the role of guidance. The lettering on
the floor is inlaid with red linoleum in the white flooring; the red crosses
point to intersecting main corridors within the clinic and combine direction
14 indicators, information signs and escape route directions in a single sig-
15 nage system.
The signage is minimalistic in concept, using a clear language of words and
symbols, and reflects the demands of the medical environment, in particu-
lar the restrictions and obstacles which are often encountered in such a
setting. The oversized symbols and different designs of arrow symbol as
well as the clear contrast between the information and the surroundings
facilitate problem-free orientation. The colour used for the information
signs varies; in the examination and consultation rooms area they are red,
whereas on the wards they are green.

The signage is easy to follow because the information displays are

restricted to the essential and work in similar way to an illustrated
user manual.
KATTA CIVIC
The signage information is fully integrated into the floor surface as
red linoleum, making it more durable than if it were merely applied.
1 SURRY
SURRY HILLS LIBRARY &
COMMUNITY CENTRE
SYDNEY, AUS
Signage: Collider, Sydney
Architecture: FJMT, Sydney

&COMMUNITY Rotated elements The architecture of this community centre

provide directions and library opens itself to the surround-
Same materials used ing public space via extensive glazed
for interior design areas, blurring the boundaries between
and signage indoors and outdoors. This theme of
blurred distinctions also characterises
the orientation system, which picks up on this in the form of integrated
signage consisting of elements skewed at different angles to project from
or recess into the wall surfaces; in the same way that the building meshes
16 with the surrounding area, the information signs are connected visually
17 with the architecture. The orientation system is – seemingly incidentally –
integrated directly into the interior design. The dimensions, materials and
colours of the elements are each matched with the materials used to cover
the walls – with a mineral material on the ground floor and maple wood on
the first and second floors, painted white. The typography and the direc-
tion arrows have either been engraved into the materials or stand proud
of them, thus forming part of the surface. The rotation of the guiding ele-
ments echoes the inclination of the glass facade, establishing a connection
between shell and content, interior and exterior. The visitor’s attention is
drawn to the orientation system exclusively through rotation and typogra-
phy; nonetheless, it develops a presence of its own.
HILLS LIBRARY
CENTRE

Rather than forming a separate

graphic level, the orientation system
is integrated in the architecture.
1
FORUM NOVÁ KAROLINA
OSTRAVA, CZ
Signage: Gourdin & Müller, Leipzig/Hamburg
Architecture: OMA, Rotterdam (design concept); Floris
Alkemade Architect; Heinrich Böll, Essen; T + T Design

KAROLINA Simulated glow effect By 2015, a new quarter containing resi-

Colours as metaphors dential, office and commercial buildings
will be created on the disused colliery
site adjacent to the city centre of Ostrava, a centre of the Czech coal and
steel industries. A signage system was developed, both for the quarter and
for the already opened Forum Nová Karolina shopping centre, which, using
the colours black and blue as metaphors for coal and steel, refers to the
history of the place. The system consists of information points in the form
of portals, free-standing “steles” showing a location plan, floor overviews
18 and service information signs as well as directional information displays
19 and destination confirmations. Slim, black rectangles with glowing steel-
blue edges define the minimalist, technical visual theme of the informa-
tion elements, creating a striking appearance in combination with a steely
cool typography. The direction arrows have an accentuated long shaft;
their unusual arrangement on the signs emphasising the reference to move-
ment. The interplay of form, materials, light and graphics makes reference
to the fascinating fusion of the material with the intangible, as manifested
in the transformation of coal into steel and electricity. An expressive, futur-
istic visualisation of this theme is found in the floor numbers on the over-
view panels and the large format pictograms used for the sanitary areas.
Due to its immediate proximity to Poland and Slovakia, many foreign-
speaking visitors are expected in Ostrava, which is why additional picto-
grams are included, to provide information on different means of transport,
infrastructural links and leisure facilities.
FORUM NOVÁ
The typography is distinguished by its consistent form and strict
geometry, the graphic design is inspired by steel and coal industries
associated with the region.
1 WHY SIGNAGE

Falk Jaeger

Red doors, green

20
21 doors, yellow doors

In the first instance, familiarity with places enables us to orient

ourselves within urban and architectural spaces. If we stray
into unknown spaces, we first attempt to recognise familiar
patterns of order. Intuitively we find the way from the edge of
the city, with its marginal structures, along the arterial roads
and into the dense and busy inner city much as we find the
way from the railway station to the town hall. We have learnt
how a central European city is organised. We can also con-
fidently find our way to the lift in a hotel or to the bathroom
in an unfamiliar house because we have learnt to deal with
typical floor plans. Only if the structures are unique, uncon-
ventional or confusing, or if complex structures become too
large, do we need to resort to systems of signs. Signage pro-
vides assistance where we can no longer recognise any codi-
fied indicators.

Development That signage systems for orienta-

of signage tion only advanced beyond the tra-
systems ditional signpost in the early 19th
century is attributable to the radical
social transformations of that time. Although cities with pop-
ulations numbering tens of thousands had already existed
in the past, mobility was limited in those eras, so inhabit-
ants’ intensive local knowledge was sufficient for a function-
ing urban society. The few outsiders managed to find their
way around by asking for directions. In contrast, traditional
oriental patterns of urban development, without centre or
hierarchy of roads or alleyways, cannot be “read” by stran-
gers, either intuitively or consciously, and thus represent an
extreme case of lack of orientation. Yet they still function
because the inhabitants know every nook and cranny. In ear-
lier times, labyrinths of alleyways offered a certain degree of
protection, since attackers could neither orient nor organise
themselves. The Kasbah is chaotic, but only to outsiders. Visi-
tors can always find a child ready to serve as their guide and
lead them to their desired destination.
In the 19th century, Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann cut
the now admired boulevards like aisles through medieval
Paris with its maze of streets, partly in order to create an
imposing city plan, but above all to create clarity and order
and thus allow the rebellious population to be more readily
controlled. The Place de l’Étoile, with its connecting streets
radiating out in a star pattern, is nothing less than a Baroque
“Jagdstern” or hunting star, from the centre of which hunters
could spot game crossing the forest rides. Game or insurrec-
tionists, it was open season.
 House numbers, introduced in central Europe during the
18th century as conscription numbers for fiscal or military pur-
poses, were only generally assigned street by street in the
mid-19th century and thereafter could also serve the purpose
of orientation. Standardised number plates soon replaced
the numbers which had orginally been painted on the walls of
buildings. In some cities, each plate also carries the street
name (in Vienna, for example, preceded by the number of the
district), in others an arrow points in the direction of the
ascending numbers. Street signs, place-name signs on roads
entering a town, welcome signs posted on autobahns on fed-
eral state boundaries as well as the coats of arms displayed at
national borders are expressions of a topological-organisa-
tional hierarchy. The standardisation of these signs empha-
sises their character as signals, which also applies to the sign-
posting system: white for local destinations, yellow for non-
local, blue for autobahns, brown for tourist information.
Through everyday familiarity we have absorbed this principle
to the extent that when travelling abroad – anticipating some-
thing similar – we rapidly learn the system in use there.
Interestingly, this transfer process also functions in other con-
texts. Signage in large complexes and buildings such as air-
ports, exhibition sites, sports facilities and suchlike frequently
makes use of familiar routines and uses hierarchically ordered,
differently coloured verbal and graphic signage systems.
The colour guidance
system devised by the
painter Max Buchartz for 1972 Olympic For the 1972 Olympic Games in
the Hans-Sachs-Haus in Games Munich, the graphic designer Otl
Gelsenkirchen. partially Aicher developed a signage system
reconstructed or reinter-
preted in 1995, origi- combining text and graphics, which became internationally
nally ran through all the the best-known and influential of such systems, setting stand-
stairwells. Each floor ards which still serve us today. Aicher had found the family of
is assigned a particular
colour. Architect: Alfred pictograms which the Japanese graphic designer Katsumi
Fischer, 1927 Masaru had designed for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in
1964 too complicated and figurative, so in his designs, he
reduced athletes to matchstick men which people from all
countries would be able to recognise at a glance – be it run-
ners, fencers, cyclists, sailors, canoeists or riders. He supple-
mented this language of symbols with a colour system which
is indelibly associated with the Games: coloured stripes in
different widths – in yellow, green, blue and orange, as well as
silver and white – appeared on all posters, programmes,
admission tickets and even on Waldi the striped dachshund,
the first Olympic mascot. Naturally, the comprehensive cor-
porate identity also included all signposts and direction signs
on routes to and on the Olympic site – supplemented, inci-
dentally, by Hans Hollein’s media lines in the Olympic village,
a communication and guidance system in the form of col-
oured pipes running above the paths.
With remarkable consistency unprecedented in its universal-
ity, Otl Aicher’s system ensured that athletes, distinguished
guests and spectators were literally always kept in the picture,
and were informed, oriented and organised as efficiently as
possible. Since then, all aspects of such major events have
been thoroughly designed, but only rarely has Aicher’s work
been surpassed. It may be that, compared with new current
developments, his pictograms may no longer appear very
contemporary in stylistic terms; however, the new ones are
certainly no easier to read.

Signage Signage and architecture do not

systems and always make the best partners. Sig-
architecture nage systems are semantic systems
which initially compete with archi-
tecture, because architecture itself represents a system of
symbols which communicates messages, sometimes abstract,
sometimes narrative. This is why distinctive signage that is
introduced afterwards or that was not considered in the orig-
inal design usually ends up conflicting with the architecture.
1
Red doors, green
WHY SIGNAGE doors, yellow doors

22
23

The relationship is similar to that between architecture and

artworks in and around buildings. Here too, a close collabora-
tion between architect and artist is recommended so that the
artwork can find its proper place, and thus both enhance one
another instead of clashing. Signage commands attention
and under certain circumstances can direct this attention to
things and in directions which the architect had not foreseen.
On the other hand, signage which fails to force itself conspic-
uously enough into the field of view is ineffective because
it  subjugates itself to the symbolic system of architecture.
Guiding elements which go unnoticed do not function.

Colour orienta- One vivid, extreme example is the

tion systems colour orientation system that the
painter Max Buchartz devised in 1927
for the Hans-Sachs-Haus in Gelsenkirchen,designed by Alfred
Fischer. Coloured stripes (Buchartz described these as “guid-
ing colour surfaces”) led up from the ground floor to the
upper floors, whose corridors were painted different colours
(“orienting colour surfaces”). This system is regarded as being
the first orientation system of this kind, but over the years it
had been painted over and forgotten. During the renovation
and refitting of the building, conservationists found rudimen-
tary traces of the system, with its powerful primary colours,
but too little to warrant a complete reconstruction. For this The signage system developed by the graphic designer
reason, a colour scheme based on the discoveries was devel- Otl Aicher for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, was the
best-known and most influential system of its time and set
oped for the new building and integrated into two of the standards which still serve us today. The colours yellow,
newly constructed stairwells. green, blue and orange as well as silver and white appear
However, early on this orientation system showed a serious on all information media associated with the Games such
as posters, programmes, admission tickets and even on
disadvantage which was probabyl why it was orginally painted the mascot, Waldi the dachshund.
over. In architecture, colour schemes are a key element in
influencing the mood and atmosphere of spaces. Corridors
and stairwells in which the colour scheme is chosen accord-
ing to exclusively signage-oriented criteria, i.e. criteria alien
to architecture, often develop “uncontrolled” atmospheric
moods – often undesirable, and not just for the architect.
Max Buchartz’s ideas were taken up a few years later in Vienna,
where patients at the General Hospital were greeted with the
following: “Are you here for outpatient treatment? Then look
out for the blue markings (blue floor, blue doors). Use the
moving walkways or the blue lifts. The surgical departments
are located in the green wing (green floor, green doors). The
specialist departments for internal medicine are located in
the red wing (red floor, red doors). Please use the green or
red lifts to reach your unit. All medical departments and
examination rooms are coloured orange. Yellow doors mark
the route to the emergency stairs.”
The new Berlin Brandenburg airport shows how a signage
system can be incorporated at an early design stage and rec-
onciled with the architecture (see p. 40/41 and 46/47). The
meticulously planned positioning of the signs and their inte-
gration in the different wall patterns were considered in the
design from the outset. The signage is restricted to a low-key
red – traditionally the colour associated with Berlin and
Brandenburg – which does not otherwise appear in the colour
palette of the architecture. In this clearly laid-out airport,
which is organised in a user-friendly way, the user does not
need to rely exclusively on the signage system, but it is there
if needed, unobtrusive, aesthetically balanced and in har-
mony with the architecture.

We live in a time in which, due to globalisation, increasingly

mobile people need to orient themselves more often in un-
familiar worlds. Places of transit are growing in scale and in
most cases are increasingly confusing, which makes signage
more important than ever. But for how much longer? Even
today, some people can only find their way using their smart-
phone. In the future, everyone will carry their individual orien-
tation system with them (or inside them?). It is possible that
signage might then decline in importance, but as a real,
present and location-based medium for orientation, it will
never become superfluous.
1 STUD
STUDENT QUARTER
OLYMPIC VILLAGE
MUNICH, D
Signage: design stauss grillmeier, Munich
Architecture: ARGE Werner Wirsing bogevischs
buero, Munich

OLYMPIC VILL Historical reference The accomodation developed in the late

Colour system 1960s by the architect Werner Wirsing
Codification through for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich,
letters and numbers afterwards used as student accommo-
dation, were demolished and rebuilt in
2009, as a renovation would have been too expensive. For the student
village the designers picked up on the original guidance and orientation
system, which had been based on the design guidelines for the 1972 Olym-
pic Games, reconceived it, and translated the historical references in terms
24 of content and design for contemporary purposes;,correcting functional
25 weaknesses. For example, a simplified system of house numbering was
introduced and the former block system was replaced with an alphabetical
pattern of lanes or alleyways. Orientation is additionally improved through
right-angled signage elements running around the corners of the build-
ings which identify the lanes like road signs. The front panel of the light
green signs shows the letter assigned to the lane and also, on the right
hand side of the lane, a north-aligned location plan identifying the lane as
well as a list of its occupants during the Olympic Games, with the corre-
sponding initial letters. The side panel points into the lane and shows the
house numbers on that side of the lane in the order in which a visitor walk-
ing along the lane passes them. The concept continues the principle
of “information-friendliness” introduced for the Olympic Games in 1972:
frequent information, friendly colours and a clear, legible typography are
key elements of the signage.
ENT QUARTER
AGE The Olympic Village is structured by a network of lanes
and alleys. Brilliant green plaques which wrap around the
corners of buildings mark the alphabetically ordered lanes.
 350 350 350 700 725 r80 725 r80
The brilliant colours of the signage
system are oriented on the spec-
trum of colours used for the 1972
Olympic Games and divide the

700

700

790

790
student quarter into different areas.

r40 r40
Lane name plaque Lane name plaque on a protected building

430,72 700

161,52
230 365

700

350
Fahrrad-
abstellplatz

1888,48

2100
Door markings Markings for service area
1 SENZ
SENZOKU GAKUEN COLLEGE OF MUSIC
KAWASAKI, J
Signage: Teradadesign Architects, Tokyo
Architecture: Nihon Sekkei, Tokyo

COLLEGE
28
29

Floor plan of 2nd floor Scale 1:600

OKU GAKUEN
OF MUSIC
Vivid colours The “Black Hall” building is part of the Sen-
Stark contrasts zoku Gakuen College of Music in Kawasaki.
Signage matched The building principally contains recording
to target group studios, classrooms and rehearsal rooms for
courses in Jazz, Musical Theatre, Rock and
Pop. Since, for acoustic reasons, these spaces are all without windows, the
architects and designers used the colour scheme of the architectural ele-
ments to create a stimulating environment for the music students, intended
to encourage creativity. The concept references the aesthetic of comics
and manga culture, which with its garish colours and characters also
reflects the world of the modern music industry and its artists. Garish
colour accents and colour combinations are a key feature of in the design
of products and communication aimed at children and young people,
especially in Japan. The adaption of this culturally established motif in
the interior design and signage of the college of music was both consist-
ent and playful. The lettering and pictograms form stark colour contrasts
with the backgrounds to which they are applied. The vivid colour design
creates an exciting, intensive atmosphere which encourages emotional
expression.

Background and pictograms form exciting complementary

colour combinations; intense colours create identity.

Floor plan of 4th floor Scale 1:600

1 INDU
INDUSTRIESCHULE SPORTS HALL
CHEMNITZ, D
Signage: Gourdin & Müller, Leipzig/Hamburg

SPORTS HALL
30
31
STRIESCHULE
Line as a central theme The conversion of the sports hall at the
Complementary colours Industrial School in Chemnitz also pro-
vided the opportunity to implement a
new typographic concept for signange, including direction signs. Charac-
teristic of the signage system is the graphic use of the typeface. The typo-
graphic elements such as letters and numbers are resolved or integrated
into a linear structure. In this way they make direct reference to the theme
of sport and its dynamic sequences of movement, as well as to the line
markings on sports pitches and running tracks. The pictograms used to
identify the rooms were also developed on the basis of this central theme
and form a visual extension of the typeface, with which it is not only com-
bined but also connected. The simplified linear graphic in which the
elements of the guidance system are designed is gently reminiscent of
experimental typefaces from the 1920s and 1970s. The dark blue surfaces
of the doors interrupt the powerful colouring of the yellow walls and
form the background for the room signs and pictograms which are exe-
cuted in white.

The typographic design as well as the vibrant colour

accents of the architecture are reminiscent of Pop Art
concepts.
2 SPACE
AND SIGNS

34 Integrated signage
Hubert Nienhoff

42 GREEN POINT STADIUM, Cape Town, SA

46 BERLIN BRANDENBURG AIRPORT, Berlin, D
48 THE COOPER UNION, New York, USA

50 Corporate identity –
Building identity
Torsten Krüger

56 MUSEION, Bolzano/Bozen, I
60 9H CAPSULE HOTEL, Kyoto, J
62 ADIDAS LACES, Herzogenaurach, D
2 SPACE AND SIGNS
Hubert Nienhoff
Integrated
34
35 signage
Alternatives You’ve seen them in newspapers
to the signage and magazines, the photos of ab-
jungle surd arrangements of signs on traffic
islands illustrating the confusion of
the “signage jungle”. They are a manifestation of overregula-
tion and a mania for order which provide fuel for the debate
around growing mobility and ever-increasing numbers of
road users, who travel at different speeds and use different
modes of transport.
Trial projects which radically dispense with any form of sig-
nage represent one possible answer. In these communally
used public spaces in which there are no explicit stipulations
or rules of behaviour, road users – whether cyclists, pedestri-
ans or drivers – are forced to rely on their own sense of respon-
sibility and consideration. One of these so-called “shared
spaces”1 is Exhibition Road in London, originally a busy multi-
lane road running along London’s museum mile, where now
road users share a common space. The thoroughfare was
cleared of all signs, lane markings and pavements – only a
large-format diagonal grid pattern marks the shared space
which has been created. The appropriation of the street
space is based on the principle of mutual consideration. The
idea is to replace the feeling of safety usually created through
regulation with the heightened attention which results when
confronted with the open, deregulated space.
Holistic design Such projects are based on the idea
of a self-explanatory space. Archi-
tects too should always strive to design spaces to be simple
enough so that they, in addition to possessing enduring
substance, are above all self-explanatory – beyond artistic
caprice or considerations of formal fashion. The primary
focus is on requirements in terms of construction design and
use, based on the principle of “form follows function”, as
well  as a holistic approach to design which is guided by
simplicity, unity in diversity, identity with the location and
structural order.
Ultimately, creating buildings which are self-explanatory and
legible is a convincing design philosophy. This means that the
users can find their way around the building because the spa-
tial layout follows the internal logic of the design, i.e. it also
reflects the processes which take place within the building
and its functions. Why, then, are additional orientation sys-
tems necessary?
At first glance, supplementary signage systems explaining a
building, or even a entire building signage system incorpo-
rating all possible means of communication, seems to be an
admission that either the architecture failed to perform these
functions or that the architects failed to achieve their own
unspoken objectives. Yes and no: because in architecture the
self-explanatory space is an ideal which architects strive to
approach in their work. Fundamental characteristics of a
building, its function, and what it aspires to be, are inherent in
the design.
One does not expect to see a single-family home with an
“entrance” sign over the front door. However, the challenge
of good orientation in buildings is not necessarily a question
of scale. Rather, the increased need for order and simplifica-
tion results from the hectic pace of our modern age. It is the
complexity of the processes in our everyday life which has
increased with the growth of the cities, increasing mobility,
new technologies and increased security requirements in an
ever more closely networked world and which creates the
need for additional systems providing orientation. In a sta-
dium for example, the question of how exits are marked
assumes great importance because in this case, rather than
being a simple issue of recognition, complex safety require-
ments must be considered which will be of vital importance
in  cases of emergency. Also in the context of changes of
use  for buildings – which with ongoing structural changes
in our economies is increasingly important – signage plays a
key role in the success of conversion projects of the most
diverse kind.

Space and The real challenge faced by planners

signs as a involves shaping the interrelation-
creative whole ship between space and signs. Par-
ticularly in the context of major
events, signage represents a kind of connecting element
between the architecture and its appropriation by the user. It
guarantees that things run smoothly and maps logistical and
even commercial aspects within a building. The interlocking
of architecture and signage can be illustrated particularly
well with reference to stadia as venues for major events
involving thousands of people: the pricing system and mar-
keting are made visual in the demarcation of stands and rows
of seats. Ultimately, the graphic language of the venue must
be reproduced on every ticket sold. Questions relevant in
terms of planning include the type and precise placement of

Integration of space and signs: The Green Point Stadium in Cape Town
near the Cape of Good Hope, one of the most striking locations on the
African continent, communicates messages which go far beyond the
signal effects which emanate from the building.
Architecture: gmp · Architekten von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, Berlin, in
collaboration with Louis Karol Architects, Point Architects, Cape Town
2
Integrated
signage
SPACE AND SIGNS
36
37
the seat numbering, whether the “1” seat in each row should
be positioned on the outside or next to the aisle, or even
determining how the markings can be protected against van-
dalism. In logistical terms, the staging of a football match can
no longer be managed today without these additional aids
to orientation.
Even though very different and contrary approaches exist to
integrating orientation systems in spaces – whether in the
form of separate elements or as inscribed surfaces of the
building components – a holistic planning philosophy always
forms the basis for a harmonic integration of the signage in
the architecture. If the function and the “genius loci” are seen
as the task to be addressed both in the architecture and also
in the graphic design, both ideally blend into a natural whole,
rather than standing in creative competition with one another.
The aim should be for signs to integrate with rather than con-
front the architecture. Naturally, a sign wants to be seen.
However, some architects would prefer them to remain in -
visible against their spatial structure. This is the paradox
inherent in the issue of integrated signage. It is the tightrope
walk between unobtrusiveness and self-promotion, between
adaptation to the point of mimicry and autonomy which the
disciplines of architecture and visual communication have to
perform in solidarity.
In the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, which was renovated and
modernised for the World Cup in 2006, this conflict of goals
between understatement and autonomy was already inher-
ent in the brief, namely the conflict between the opposing
demands of conservation and careful modernisation on the
one hand and the conflict between the modern requirements
of a multifunctional venue and of a pure football stadium on
the other. The stadium once formed the central component
of the historical sports complex built for the 1936 Olympic
Games. The new design concept supports the qualities of the
During the course of its renovation and modernisation in
2006, the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, built in 1936, was
given a new guidance system. The design is autonomous
yet understated, it relates to the existing architecture
without adopting its monumental formal language.
Renovation and modernisation: gmp · Architekten von
Gerkan, Marg and Partners, Berlin; signage: Büro für
Gestaltung Wangler & Abele, Munich
original structure, in that it subjugates itself to it and attempts
to engage with the historical architectural fabric with dis-
tance, the greatest possible transparency and understate-
ment. All the necessary new constructions were housed
underground outside of the stadium, so that the visual
appearance was not affected and the impression of the sta-
dium was preserved. The new roof deliberately distances
itself from the fixed tectonics of the stadium structure through
its understated construction design and the choice of mate-
rial used for the surfaces. The treatment of the historical
building and its importance during the years of National
Socialism also played a key role for the visual communication.
In the same way that the architectural concept with the new,
lightweight membrane roof remains distanced, so to speak,
from the original structure, the signage system references
the  existing architecture without adopting its monumental
formal language. It maintains a distance: letters are not
mounted flush, but attached to the natural stonework with a
slight intermediate space, and the vertical-format signs along
the peripheral walkways echo the rows of columns in their
serial character, but form their own spatial level as individual
elements. Through the adaption of the colours of the natural
stone and the fixtures of the building, the lettering and direc-
tion signs have become natural parts of the building. They are
illuminated using the existing lighting system. Despite the
independence of the elements, architecture and signage
system form a unified whole.
Cultural In the new stadia built for the 2010
identity and FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the
genius loci interplay of architecture and sig-
nage takes a quite different form
than seen in the Olympic stadium in Berlin. Instead of main-
taining a distance from history and an understated relation-
2
Integrated
SPACE AND SIGNS signage

38 Cultural identity and the genius loci were key themes for
39 the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Itself conceived
as a landmark, the stadium’s orientation system reflects
the South African passion for decoration as well as tradi-
tional art and handicrafts.
Architecture: gmp · Architekten von Gerkan, Marg and
Partners, Berlin, in collaboration with Ibhola Lethu Consor-
tium, South Africa; signage: Büro für Gestaltung Wangler &
Abele, Munich

ship with the existing architecture, the designs of the three

FIFA stadia in Cape Town, Port Elisabeth and Durban were
intended to be an expression of cultural identity and, not
least, the euphoric enthusiasm of the South Africans for the
World Cup. The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban is a prime
example of this: with its distinctive arch, visible from afar, it is
conceived as a landmark for the city of Durban. Just as the
building itself communicates as a symbol, its signage system
engages in a quite concrete visual dialogue with the city. The
information, guidance and orientation system is applied
directly to the massive walls and has the effect of a cultural
embracing of the building, reflecting the South African pas-
sion for decoration and painting. In its vibrant colours and
direct expression, the design references contemporary art,
traditional art and handicrafts as well as the everyday culture
of the region, thus acting as a connecting link between the
surrounding area, the landscape and the building. Naturally,
the direct and seemingly unconventional painting of the walls
is also a very economical form of implementing signage,
achieving the greatest possible effect with the least possible
material expenditure. In addition to fulfilling the functional bols apply in projects located in the Near East, that is to say in
objective of staging a smoothly run World Cup, the signage traditionally Muslim regions. The use of the pictogram for
also played a big part in strengthening the identity of the ladies toilets originally developed by Otl Aicher for the 1972
place and communicating to the world the host country’s soft Olympic Games, the lady in a miniskirt, in Europe a universally
skills such as openness, friendliness and joy through media recognised symbol, would be unthinkable. In South Africa,
broadcasting. Here, the signage is, in the truest sense of the the differing connotations of symbols was reflected in the
word, an integral component of the architecture. subject of eating. A burger shape and sparkling glass of lem-
onade were preferred as clear symbols for food and bever-
Cultural identity is expressed not only in the way in which ages, over the champagne glass and triangular sandwich pro-
people appropriate spaces, but also in the way which spaces posed by the European designers.
are interpreted and ultimately used. Different cultural back- The intention was to make the stadia in South Africa accessi-
grounds are manifested, in particular, in the way in which ble to a broad segment of the population. For this reason,
minimised signs, symbols and pictograms are read. For despite complex labelling of the rows of seating the aim was
example, quite different rules regarding the language of sym- to make the orientation system as intuitive as possible – also
in view of prevailing levels of illiteracy. In the stadium in Cape
Town the coloured circle therefore became the striking sym-
bol for orientation (see p. 42 – 45). It is an additive system
which, in contrast to the concept developed for Durban, was
applied to the surfaces of the building in the form of individ-
ual elements and is clearly recognisable as a modular system.
In a similar way to the pieces on a board game, the system
functions as a combination of different circles with a few vari-
ables such as colours, numbers and arrows.

All in the The most important prerequisite

same boat for successful integration of the sig-
nage, with all its elements, into ar-
chitecture is to bring together all the participating disciplines
at an early stage. For example, if the question of the building’s
guidance system only arises towards the end of the planning
stage, many decisions will already have been made and the
identification markings used by different disciplines may col-
lide. The electrician has defined the locations for the fuse
boxes, the lighting designer has already decided on the posi-
tion and nature of the lighting. However, the issue of lighting
in particular is also of great importance for the guidance sys-
tem – one only has to think of the different lighting conditions
by day and at night. Forward-looking and long-term planning
makes it possible, for example, to avoid unnecessary duplica-
tion of lighting systems which are required for the signage.
In addition to service engineering installations, safety regu-
lations, including the identification marking of fire extinguish-
ers and escape routes, represent a further component of the
broad spectrum of symbols in the building which need to be
incorporated in an integrated overall planning process at an
early stage. What is the point of having signs in a multi-storey
car park which are, in theory, visible from a long way off, if
these are obscured by beams, cable runs, ventilation ducts or
pendant light fittings? Unfortunately, the degree of overlap
between the individual disciplines and the signage is fre-
quently underestimated in practice.

Early In addition to the interlinking of the

planning different disciplines involved in the
construction, it is necessary that the
planning and conception of the scope and content of signage
or of guidance and information systems take place in parallel
with the planning of the overall project and not just at a later
stage. Building signage systems are often regarded as being
included in the architects’ services, on the principle that “we
can always put up a couple of signs afterwards”. However, the
actual crux of the issue frequently lies in the communication
with the client. Even before the planning stage, the architect
must explain to them the complex interrelationships involved
and convince them that in order to achieve a successful inte-
gration of signage and space it is necessary to involve spe-
cialist planners at an early stage.
A completely new approach was taken in the planning of the
Willy Brandt Berlin Brandenburg airport (see p. 46/47). The
project was preceded by a study in which the architects
developed fundamental design principles for the airport and
all associated building measures. Materials, building volumes
and colours were defined at an early stage in a kind of manual,
so that – despite the large number of persons and even differ-
ent architects involved in the planning – it was possible to
implement a holistic design. This manual already defined the
basis of the information system years before completion, for
example a standardised system for the “hardware” of the
guidance and advertising system, which is based on the grid
pattern used for the overall planning of the airport. Along
with principal colour, the red associated with Berlin and
Brandenburg, these design rules also form the basis for the
typography.
2
Integrated
SPACE AND SIGNS signage

Pedestrians and cyclists:

40 Motorists: secondary guidance system for Passengers:
41 road signs on approach road Airport City and adjacent site airport guidance system in terminal

Architecture module Hardware grid Graphic unit

Signage Along with hospitals, airports are
as a bridge probably the most complex kind of
between city building project. The basis for orien- 65.0 cm
and building tation within such a large-scale,
multi-zoned transport facility is ini- 32.5 cm
3.25 cm
tially determined by the architecture. It is the simplicity of the
62.5 cm 31.25 cm 3.125 cm
routes, the logical sequence of spaces and the natural light-
ing of the interior spaces which form the starting point for
an  intuitive navigation of the building. The new airport for
Berlin is therefore being given a spacious central entrance
125 cm
hall. Thanks to its scale and transparency, the visitor can “read” 93.75 cm 125 cm
325.0 cm 62.5 cm 125 cm
the different levels of the airport and its organisational struc-
Information panel, Panel,
ture at first glance, as if on a projection screen, upon entering
free-standing Integrated
the terminal building. The building levels adjacent to the 292.5 cm
entrance hall are revealed to the visitor in cross section, allow-
ing the space to be taken in in its entirety. 260.0 cm
Nonetheless, signage plays a very special role in transport
facilities and especially in airports. This is because of the 227.5 cm
complicated processes involved in flight operations, from
check-in through baggage handling to boarding. The divi- 195.0 cm
sion into ground-side and air-side as well as customs and
safety aspects have an impact on spatial organisation. The
162.5 cm
signage not only needs to be internationally understandable,
irrespective of different cultural connotations and language
barriers, but also able to react flexibly to future changes. In a
logistically complex and large-scale project like an airport,
the challenge is to develop a single system which can be read
at different levels of scale. This goes far beyond internal con-
siderations of coordination with electrical systems or compli-
ance with safety regulations, involving urban planning and
legal issues, such as the compatibility of the building guid-
ance system and generally valid traffic signs. Also relevant,
however, is the question of the style of lettering used by
the local authorities and how the two “symbolic languages”
 The basic design principles for the Berlin Brandenburg (Willy
Brandt) airport were already defined at the outset in a kind of
manual, including the signage zones for the different user groups.
The elements of the guidance system are based on a standardised
pattern oriented on the grid pattern used for the overall planning
of the airport. Architecture: gmp · Architekten von Gerkan, Marg
and Partners, Berlin; JSK International, Frankfurt am Main; signage:
Moniteurs Kommunikationsdesign, Berlin
interact aesthetically. The guidance system becomes a medi-
ator between city and building, between exterior and inte-
rior spaces, between public and private. For this reason, it
was particularly important to provide for and categorise
signage zones for different interest groups in the design man-
ual. These include tenant companies’ logos mounted on the
building, digital advertising spaces, billboard advertising on
the multi-storey car parks, but also free-standing elements
like banners and advertising sculptures or hoardings attached
to the building, integrated, backlit advertising spaces and,
not least, all those elements which guide and regulate the
flows of passengers in the interior of the building. The con-
sistency of an orientation system is revealed in particular at
the transitions between public and semi-public areas. Ideally,
as is the case with Berlin Brandenburg airport, one is not con-
fronted with competing signage systems outside of the build-
ing, everything is coordinated. The signage and guidance
systems begin at the autobahn and end at the gate.

Readability of Even though we can supposedly find

the space as a our way around anywhere today,
basis for good using the digital technology that
orientation makes individual orientation via
smartphone or navigation system
possible, we still have to rely on reduction, simplification and
clearly understandable directions, especially in connection
Airport City Airport City
information information Seating area with increasingly complex processes and the flood of infor-
Road sign panel, large panel, small with information mation to which we are exposed every day. The principle of
“less is more” applies more than ever today.
With architecture we create the “hardware” of good orienta-
tion. Its coherence, clarity and simplicity plays a key part in
allowing us to recognise routes. In the best case, it gives peo-
ple the responsibility for finding their own way around the
building, without patronising symbols or dominating formal
language, and lets users rely on their own attentiveness. Day-
light forms the starting point for intuitive orientation in space.
All dimensions are based on the architectural It indicates the time of day and cardinal directions. However,
module.
the instruments at the architect’s disposal for creating spaces
All graphic elements are oriented on a grid pat- which are inherently accessible also include other sensory
tern with half the height and width of the graphic impressions such as haptics, acoustics and the perception of
design unit: height 1.625 cm, width 1.5625 cm.
temperature and smell. The readability of space is thus not
limited to understandable layouts and sequences of spaces
but extends to different levels of perception, including cul-
tural context and the special character of the place. If the
31.25 cm
architecture fails to achieve intuitively understandable spaces
250 cm – an outcome of an holistic approach to design – even the best
125 cm building guidance system cannot make up for this deficiency
Ceiling sign,
and seems more like a crutch. However, if the building follows
suspended
an inner logic, the signage is a self-evident enrichment of
the architecture. A prerequisite for this is its early conception
93.75 cm and the consultation of all the disciplines involved in the plan-
Projecting wall- ning. The designer of signage and orientation systems must
mounted sign be familiar with the building and all the processes which are
possible within it. The measure of successfully integrated sig-
nage is not only that at no point in a building does the user
get lost, but equally that an aesthetic interrelationship of
space and signs is achieved. The key basis for this is an archi-
tecture which strives to achieve the ideal of the self-explana-
tory space.

1 Topic “Shared Spaces”, Bauwelt 06/2012, p. 14 et seq.

2
GREEN POINT STADIUM
CAPE TOWN, SA
Signage: Büro für Gestaltung Wangler & Abele, Munich
Architecture: gmp · Architekten von Gerkan, Marg and Partners,
Berlin, in collaboration with Louis Karol Architects, Point
Architects, Cape Town

STADIUM
Universal design The new stadium in Cape Town built for
The circle as the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
a basic form is a perfect example of the integration of
Colours as com- space and signs. Situated directly by the
municators of Atlantic, the oval-shaped free-standing
information stadium occupies a striking location near
the Cape of Good Hope. The architec-
tural design as well as the conception of the visual communication make
direct reference to the place, the country, the city, the neighbourhood. The
42 central element of the orientation system is the circle, the stringent and
43 systematic use of which plays a key part in shaping the appearance of the
stadium. All information such as numbers, direction signs, colours and pic-
tograms is applied to circular surfaces which can be freely combined,
stacked and aligned vertically or horizontally – a free game with rules. In
this way, the information is formally broken down into individual elements
and the areas of signage reduced to a minimum. Simple geometrical forms
like the circle are particularly suitable for the barrier-free communication of
information. The use of colours means that the information is also easy to
understand for people who cannot read, which in South Africa is by no
means an aspect which can be neglected.

The guidance system is based on simple forms, clear

colours and internationally understandable pictograms
which guarantee good orientation and are particularly
suitable for the barrier-free communication of information.
GREEN POINT
 The circle as a carrier of
information stands out from
the architecture, it is inher-
ently directionless and is
self-explanatory.

a 400 a
b

1600

1600

ca. 2200
b

ca. 600
2
BERLIN BRANDENBURG AIRPORT
BERLIN, D
Signage: Moniteurs Kommunikationsdesign, Berlin
Architecture: gmp · Architekten von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, Berlin;
JSK International, Frankfurt am Main

BRANDENBU Monochrome signage The new airport for the Berlin-Branden-

Design manual burg region welcomes passengers via a
spacious central entrance hall which is
intended to ensure largely self-explanatory and intuitive navigation of the
building. The organisational structure of the space and the levels leading
beyond it can be read at a glance, as on a projection screen. Right at the
beginning of the planning stage a manual with basic design principles,
building volumes, materials and colours was compiled which includes all
disciplines, thus making a holistic design possible. Even the basic princi-
46 ples of the guidance system are also set forth in this manual. The elements
47 which carry information are either integrated in the construction design,
form components of architectural elements – for example, the counter
fixtures – or are themselves space-defining; suspended elements were
avoided. This close integration of the guidance system with the building
ensures a uniform appearance. The principal colour red – the state colour
of Berlin and Brandenburg – conveys the identity of the airport. It is re-
served solely for flight information and is not used in the architecture, for
which reason it can quickly be recognised as an information carrier, even
from a considerable distance. Differentiations and nuances are achieved
through the linear layout and optimisation of the tonal value of the primary
colour, secondary information is set against a dark grey background. A
double differentiation of the typeface in font style and size reflects the
bilingual nature of the information.
The guidance system is likewise continued onto the exterior and also
includes a traffic and pedestrian guidance system as well as road signs and
car park signage – everything is integrated.
 BERLIN
RG AIRPORT

The guidance system echoes creative elements of the

architecture, such as the linear, grid-formed structures
of the terminal building with its clear geometrical forms.
2
THE COOPER UNION
NEW YORK, USA
Signage: Pentagram Design, New York
Architecture: Morphosis Architects, Santa Monica

The extension of the typeface around the corner

gives the appearance of a barcode and amplifies
the visual impact.
UNION
Distorted perspective In 2009, 150 years after its foundation,
Three-dimensional the Cooper Union opened its new, sculp-
use of typeface tural academic building in New York’s
East Village, which quickly became
another of the city’s landmarks. The concept developed for the signage
and graphics is integrated completely into the dynamic formal language of
the architecture. The chosen typeface, Foundry Gridnik, resembles the let-
tering on the facade of the main university building which stands opposite,
thus establishing a relationship with the older building. At the same time
48 however, its hard-edged and futuristic character also reflects the form and
49 the materials of the new building. It is used throughout the building for the
orientation system and appears on different materials such as stainless
steel and etched glass.
Above the entrance area of the building, the facade is decorated with visu-
ally distorted lettering in which the upper half of the typeface is raised,
whereas the lower part is cut out. Viewed from the front, the name of the
building can be read correctly. The lobby is formed by a naturally lit atrium
which rises nine storeys high. The dominant element in the entrance area is
a sculptural staircase on the underside of which over 80 hanging plates are
installed which bear the names of the institution’s most important spon-
sors. For this purpose the typography was applied three-dimensionally,
running around the edges on the front, bottom and rear side of the plates.
The identification marking of the spaces and offices was applied to stain-
less-steel corner protectors in a similar way. Here, the typeface is extended
in a linear form around the corners, giving the appearance of a barcode,
depending on the observer’s angle of view.

The sculptural staircase dominates the foyer and bears

the names of the most important sponsors of the school.
Other names are engraved in the floor of the roof terrace.
THE COOPER
2 SPACE AND SIGNS

Torsten Krüger

Corporate identity –
50
51 Building identity

Brand commu- The term “brand communication”

nication commonly used in marketing de-
scribes the sum of all those elements
which are key to the perception and development of a brand.
The basis for brand management is corporate identity, which
bindingly defines the public presence in a design manual
containing word marks and figurative marks, logo and typog-
raphy as well as examples for all applications. The use of the
term “corporate” refers to the relationship of a specialised
area to a higher-level brand strategy – for example, corporate
design, corporate behaviour, corporate governance, corpo-
rate social responsibility.
The 2D brand strategy is essentially used in print products
such as brochures, adverts and posters as well as in corporate
correspondence. The design of internet presences, films or
interactive applications is also oriented around the corporate
identity. The 3D brand strategy describes the implementa-
tion of the corporate identity in terms of its spatial perception
in architecture and interior design as well as at trade fairs and
events. Accordingly, the terms “corporate interior design”
and “corporate architecture” describe the application of the
corporate identity to the specialist fields of interior design
and architecture. The requirements of the corporate identity
must also be appropriately taken into consideration in the
design of information and orientation systems.
However, architecture, interior design and signage are inde-
pendent specialist fields; the design of which cannot be
based solely on the corporate identity of a brand or company.
The term “building identity” therefore emphasises the inde-
pendent identity of buildings and the special framework con-
ditions which are relevant for their creation. It comprises
all  the key elements of perception relevant to a building
and incorporates the aspects of architecture, interior design
and signage.
 Innovation Message and perception are the key
and continuity components of brand communica-
of brands tion. Anyone concerned with the
development and positioning of
brands seeks a balance between an innovative updating
of  the brand which responds to social, cultural and contex-
tual  changes and the continuation of the established brand
presence.
Architects and designers also often strive for a brand percep-
tion of their projects and products as well as for the per-
ception of their individual personality as an artist. However,
to  manage brands strategically over a long period of time
means harmonising one’s own creativity with the intentions of
the brand. A successful concept requires an intensive crea-
tive dialogue between the commissioned agencies, design-
ers and architects, as well as the managers responsible for
brand management. A brand which fails to engage with this
evolutionary development process very quickly loses its con-
nection with the market and the acceptance of customers.
Interestingly, the audience for brand messages is, first of all,
those employees of the company who are involved in product
development, marketing and sales strategies. They generate
emotional resonances which can position companies or prod-
ucts and which can penetrate deep into the market; where
they have to prove their strengths and charisma in competi-
tion with other brands. The substance, concept, mood and
spirit of the brand presence together form a perception pro-
file which is intended to make it easier for the intended target
groups to identify with the brand. Naturally, the distancing
from other brands and the formulation of an unmistakeable
profile create both fans and opponents. Such polarisation
supports the brand and makes it possible to identify the
unique selling points which make the added value tangible
for the users.

Building iden- The application of this thinking to-

tity and icons wards architecture developed for
companies and products follows the
dictum that communication and perception are also rerequi-
sites for the success of buildings. In this way, constructing
building identity becomes a strategic approach, both in the
conception of new buildings and in the renovation of exist-
ing ones.
Here, two fundamental strategies can be derived from the
question of who builds for whom. If a company acts as in-
vestor, as a rule the aim is to connect the company’s brand
image with its corporate identity. This involves incorporating
qualities such as “innovative”, “sound”, “long-established”
or “dynamic” in the design process, or even qualities associ-
ated with the products. In this case the corporate identity
can provide inspiration for the development of the architec-
tural concept.

Top: Used by the Swiss furniture manufacturer

to present its furniture to private customers,
the VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein evokes associa-
tions with the archetype of the house. Use and
marketing coalesce in a building form which
is simple to read and visible from a distance.
Architecture: Herzog & de Meuron

Left: The Allianz Arena uses different lighting

effects to reflect the brand colours of the football
clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich.
Architecture: Herzog & de Meuron
2
Corporate identity –
SPACE AND SIGNS Building identity

52
53

In the case of speculative investments in which the future Top: At London Heathrow Airport, the
routes to connecting flights are indi-
users are not defined in advance, an investor formulates a
cated by means of a separate signage
building identity which approximately reflects the objectives system with the lettering “Flight Connec-
and the corporate identity of the greatest possible number of tions” displayed in the signal colour lilac.
potential users. The tenant or buyer can then go on to give
Right: The formal language of Apple’s
the building their brand name; it should, however, be possi- new corporate headquarters in Cupertino,
ble to replace this without any problem in the event of a California echoes elements from the
company’s product design.
change of tenant or sale.
Architects: Foster + Partners
Since practically all companies claim to be innovative, sus-
tainable, dynamic and above all, unique, building concepts
are often oriented around these qualities. In addition, inves-
tors in the global property market are looking for expressive
and unusual forms which attract the kind of media attention
which increases the chances of successful marketing. Archi-
tecture is used by companies, cities and countries as valida-
tion of cultural, economic and political achievement and
represents the international status of the location and the
owner. The dominance of architectural icons in international
architecture is an expression of this tendency. However, the
architectural and design language also follow conventional
inherited values and are influenced by specifics dictated by are, at the structural level, a component with the aid of which
urban planning considerations, landscape and location. the building can be communicated quickly and precisely to
Other factors which play a part in determining the architec- users. They follow the periodic restructuring of the organisa-
tural concept include the fact that depreciation periods and tion as well as the philosophy of a company and reflect its
life cycles of properties are significantly longer than the life- corporate culture. The more complex the building and its
time of short-term marketing concepts. Due to the sometimes functions, the more simple and unambiguous the design of a
long realisation period between the initial concept and the good orientation system should be.
handover of the finished building to the users, it is only
possible to a limited extent to modify the structure of the From informa- The transitions between architecture,
building to accommodate changed user and design con- tion systems to interior design and signage are fluid.
cepts. Buildings therefore also need to display a sustainable “brand worlds” Trendsetters in the design of infor-
identity when the aesthetic and functional bases for their cre- mation and orientation systems are
ation have already evolved further. often smaller, individual projects or projects in the context of
Well-designed orientation, guidance and information systems art. For example, the architectural concept can be extended
to the communication design in posters and flyers, on the
internet and in the orientation system. This is clearly shown,
for instance, by the Museion in Bolzano/Bozen, the architec-
tural language of which has had a key influence on the devel-
opment of the corporate identity of this museum of modern
art (see p. 56 / 57). The way typography and visual language
are used in the Family Box is also unconventional, referring
to the context of the building as a social meeting place for
families (see p. 88–91).
The layering of the individual disciplines culminates in the
brand showcasing seen in headquarters buildings and brand
worlds which transcend the boundaries between the special-
ist fields in the form of a communications strategy, embracing
the total brand experience. This strategic objective is clearly
evident in projects such as the adidas Laces building in
Herzogenaurach (see p. 62–65), the Rolex Learning Centre at
the EPFL in Lausanne by SANAA or the new Apple headquar-
ters in Cupertino, California, designed by Foster + Partners
and known as the “spaceship”, which has already attracted
a  lot of media attention prior to its opening. However, the
quality and complexity shown in these examples can only be
achieved through intensive cooperation between all partici-
pants. The budgets for such strategic corporate projects
amount to many times the sums available for orientation
systems in state schools, hospitals, universities or public
authorities.
Fundamental to a successful brand strategy is the awareness
that the value of brands, products and companies depends
to a crucial extent on public perception. The senior manage-
ment of successful companies are therefore directly involved
in the decision-making processes relating to the development
of corporate and building identity and from the outset
encourage an interdisciplinary discourse between architec-
ture, design and signage.
Due to the division of individual administrative bodies and
their respective responsibilities, this strategic approach is dif-
ficult to implement in the field of public investments. How-
ever, despite the focus on the size necessary in order for the
building to function effectively, public projects are increas-
ingly producing innovative and attractive concepts which
also symbolise the change towards an open, modern and cit-
izen-friendly service.
At the same time, universities, libraries, hospitals and admin-
istrative bodies are to a certain extent in competition with
one another, and in order to secure their future viability have
to compete with private companies and institutions for the
most highly qualified employees. This applies in particular
in the sphere of education. Universities and the associated
public and private institutes and institutions have recognised
that the visual appearance of universities and research and
development laboratories have a great influence on the work-
ing atmosphere and the reputation of the institution. Any
researcher would gladly work in a significant field,in a mod-
ern and stimulating setting. The challenge is, inter alia, to
achieve a uniform level of communication in the architectur-
ally diverse buildings. The development processes associ-
ated with a necessary new building measure, the re-evalua-
tion of structures and working procedures, are often the first
stages in an intensive re-examination of the institution and
the brand. The realisation of a new building therefore also
offers the opportunity to review and further develop the cor-
porate identity, which can in turn influence the design of the
information and orientation system (see Leibniz Institute for
Baltic Sea Research, p. 132 /133).
Due to their great number of specialist departments and
rooms, university hospitals are among the most challenging
design briefs in terms of signage. All functions have to be
translated into a clear guidance and orientation system which
is easy for users and visitors to understand. Clearly structured
2
Corporate identity –
SPACE AND SIGNS Building identity

54
55

hierarchical levels, unambiguous typography and pictograms

as well as colour coding facilitate orientation (see University
Hospital Greifswald, p. 102 – 105).
Building projects such as airports, railway stations and sports
facilities also impose strict requirements in terms of signage.
For example, anyone landing or changing planes at London
Heathrow airport quickly appreciates the importance of an
information and orientation system. The structural develop-
ment of Europe’s largest airport has led to innumerable
expansions; as a result there is an equal profusion of com-
munication and advertising elements which are intended to
inform the traveller and guide them to their destination and
indicate toilets or escape routes. In addition to the financial
costs of the signage, the question also arises as to how often
existing orientation systems can be updated and adapted to
a structural extension, a new requirement or a new law intro-
duced by the regulating authorities. As London Heathrow
proves, this might be very often. Here, different orientation
systems are superimposed, each forming its own layer with its During the Olympic Games, additional information and
direction elements were integrated into the existing
own colour and typography system. For example, the lilac-
system used at London Heathrow Airport.
coloured “Flight Connections” signage directs the passenger
reliably to the right terminal.
For the staging of the Olympic Games in London 2012, a
holistic corporate design with a detailed and elaborately con-
ceived information and orientation design was developed
which welcomes visitors to the city as they arrive at the airport,
accompanies them through the city, is present in all public
transport systems and guides the visitor reliably through the
Olympic Park. This example shows the importance of signage
to such major social and sporting events. In this case it
became the universal ambassador of the Olympic idea, of the
host country and London itself.
Cultural Cultural traditions have a major
traditions influence on the development of a
brand identity, since they shape uni-
versally understandable patterns associated with a country, a
region or a religion. For example, this is clearly illustrated by
Japanese projects which apply the principle, borrowed from
their culture, of minimising elements and colours, such as
restricting a design to a few materials and their natural colour
effect (see 9h Capsule Hotel, p. 60/61; Nagasaki Prefectural
Art Museum, p. 118/119). The deliberate minimising of the
colour palette, elements and themes, as well as the integra-
tion of all the different elements into a contemplative overall
concept expresses the ideal of perfection. Many informa-
tion and orientation systems are designed according to this
principle, which can be often encountered in everyday life
in Japan.
With its forms, colours and pictograms, the signage
for the 2012 Olympic Games in London positions the
Olympic brand in the urban landscape and formed a
key component in the positive public perception of the
sporting event. Conception: Surface Architects
Teamwork In addition to a precise knowledge
of the architectural concept of the
building in question, sucessfully addressing design briefs
in the field of information and guidance systems also requires
a good understanding of a company’s goals, as well as its
products. The basis of effective orientation is always the pre-
cise analysis of the often complex functional processes and
information hierarchies involved. Specialised agencies and
designers devote their extensive specialised knowledge and
considerable creativity to the planning and realisation of such
systems. In order for the result to be successful in the case
of ambitious projects, an open working atmosphere between
structural and interior architects, designers and graphic de-
signers, not to mention programmers and film agencies is
essential if their diverse creative visions are to be brought
together to form a cohesive whole. In this way, corporate and
building identity enter into a partnership which makes the
product and the brand stand out from the competition.
2
MUSEION
BOLZANO/BOZEN, ITALY
Signage: Tomato, London
Architecture: KSV Krüger Schuberth Vandreike, Berlin

Art object and The Museion – the Museum of Modern

56
57
“graphic forms”.
The orientation and guidance system builds on the corporate identity
Irregular “graphic forms” derived from the facades are a
key element in the corporate identity of the museum. The
Lubalin font is used for the Museion’s public communications,
with Futura used for all forms of internal communication.
brand staging and Contemporary Art in Bolzano/Bozen
Flexible magnet – is a symbol of South Tyrol’s emergence
system into modernity. The building has two
large glazed areas which open up to-
wards the old town and to the river Talfer, with the modern city centre situ-
ated on the opposite bank. A twin-spanned pedestrian and cycle bridge
which is part of the museum design connects the two parts of the city.
Starting out from the architectural concept, a corporate identity was de-
veloped for the museum comprising the logo and name as well as ana-
logue and digital media. The logo is derived, through abstraction, from
the  design of the entrance facade. The name “Museion” underlines the
conceptual character of the building. A graphics concept was developed
for posters, adverts and the website in which, through different angles
of  view and superimpositions, the geometry of the building and its
glass  facades generate an infinite number of visual icons, referred to as
of  the museum and implements a clear yet experimental concept. The
Museion does not house a permanent collection; each exhibition is devel-
oped individually by a curator using items from the collection and loaned
artworks. A magnetic system was therefore developed for the information
provided on the different floors which allows wooden elements into which
the necessary information is carved to be fixed to the wall. In this way, the
destinations can be named differently depending on the exhibition con-
cept. Fixed functions such as cafeteria and library are also identified using
this system. The inscriptions are provided in German, Italian and English;
internationally unambiguous terms are displayed in only one language.
MUSEION
The information system for the floor
levels is based on a magnetic system in
which wooden elements are integrated
as information carriers.
2
9H CAPSULE HOTEL
KYOTO, J
Signage: Hiromura Design Office, Tokyo
Architecture: Sigma Architectural Design, Kyoto

HOTEL
60
61

Each guest receives slippers decorated with

the logo, sleepwear as well as sanitary articles
branded by the hotel.
9H CAPSULE
Minimalistic The 9h Nine Hours is a capsule hotel and
Maximum colour can be seen as a place of transit or a tem-
contrast porary abode in the dense urban space.
Pictograms as The concept is based on a nine-hour stay
guiding elements by the guests consisting of the sequence
1 + 7 + 1, that is to say one hour to shower
in, seven hours of sleep and one hour to get dressed. The graphic designer,
interior designer and product designer developed the project on an inter-
disciplinary basis from the outset, consistent with the idea of seamless
transition on which the design is based. Minimal, well conceived and inte-
grated, the signage reflects the functional processes in the hotel. The
colour scheme is based on the step-by-step transition from white in the
entrance area via the grey of the washrooms to black in the sleeping areas.
In this way, the space is zoned into in public and private areas.
Pictograms on the walls and floor guide the visitors step by step through
the process of their stay. Each function becomes a symbol, the lining up
of  the individual symbols creates a graphic system of user instructions
which functions without any words whatsoever and which anyone can
understand. The designers specified the Zougan technique to make the
pictograms, a traditional Japanese art of inlaying. The concept of flowing
transition is thus also reflected in the materiality: architecture and signage
Simple, clear pictograms on the walls and floor show the
combine virtually seamlessly. way through the building and at the same time function
as a kind of user guide.
2
ADIDAS LACES
HERZOGENAURACH, D
Signage: büro uebele visuelle kommunikation, Stuttgart
Architecture: kadawittfeldarchitektur, Aachen

Integration of The expansion of the adidas campus with

space and signs the new “Laces” research and develop-
Key theme: movement ment centre is a model of objectified
Three-dimensional and visible brand management and ex-
elements emplifies the projection of corporate
goals onto architecture. Here, the bound-
aries between architecture, design, communication and corporate identity
are dissolved. The building forms a spatial loop in which freely suspended
walkways span an atrium and “lace up” the structure of the building like the
62 laces of a training shoe. They join up the individual departments of the
63 building complex, ensuring short routes. The orientation system enhances
this concept by providing information on the location of the different parts
of the building at the nodal points. The names of the conference zones can
be read on the glazed balustrades: as one looks through the hall these
generate a vibrant, yet low-key image and show visitors the way. The
typography has an airy and shimmering effect as it runs over walls and
balustrades, changing its form as it does so. The contour lines of the letter-
ing and arrows are offset and repeated rhythmically: this creates an impres-
sion of movement, the key theme of the graphic language. Words identify
locations, become colour surfaces, reliefs and sculptures with space-defin-
ing function, like for example the information desks or the room division in
the cafeteria. On the ground floor and in the courtyard, outsized capital
letters indicate the entrances to the individual departments as confirma-
tion of destination. They are integrated in the walls which are made of thin
steel pipes and can be seen, as orientation aids, from any point in the hall.
The lounges on the upper floors, which serve as conference rooms, have
precisely moulded walls decorated with reliefs of the logos of famous
adidas products. These give the spaces not only their names, but also an
unmistakeable identity.
ADIDAS LACES
On the glass balustrades of the walkways which run through the interior of the building,
the letters appear to be punched out of a thin, transparent membrane. The outlines are
traced in highly reflective foil, creating a shimmering image.
In some locations letters are
compressed into abstract
surfaces or relief-like wall
elements, and are also used
to form room partitions and
the information desk.
3 PLANNING
SIGNAGE
68 Integration
of signs and space
Ruedi Baur

74 STACHUS PASSAGEN, Munich, D

78 MÉDIATHÈQUE ANDRÉ MALRAUX, Strasbourg, F
82 DESIGN MUSEUM HOLON, Holon, IL

84 Universal design
Beate Kling

88 FAMILY BOX, Beijing, CN

92 UNDERGROUND CAR PARK, HOCHHAUS AM PARK,
Frankfurt am Main, D
94 VOLKSSCHULE TSCHAGGUNS, Tschagguns, A

96 Analysis and systematic

specification of information
requirements
Beate Kling

102 UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL GREIFSWALD, Greifswald, D

106 BERNAQUA, Bern, CH
108 SIGNTERIOR, Shanghai, CN

110 Orientation design

Torsten Krüger

116 ORDNUNGSAMT STADT FRANKFURT, Frankfurt am Main, D

118 NAGASAKI PREFECTURAL ART MUSEUM, Nagasaki, J
120 ETH SPORT CENTER SCIENCE CITY, Zurich, CH
3 PL ANNING SIGNAGE

Ruedi Baur

Integration
68
69 of signs and space

View from In fact, the particular location in which

the terrace we find ourselves is not really critical,
of a café in because the phenomenon in question
the centre of can be encountered wherever our
Vienna modern age is confronted with relics
of the past. So this is just an example.
Now let’s focus our attention on the visual symbols of the pre-
sent. The kind of heterogeneity which we are talking about
can be seen more frequently in Vienna than in other cities. If
we deliberately look out for examples of intrusive signage, as
if “spotting the differences” in a puzzle picture, they catch the
eye immediately. Nonetheless, we would simply not have reg-
istered them had we not concentrated on doing so. We are
too used to living our lives in an environment which is, happily,
imperfect.
However, let’s leave aside for the moment all those standard
signs which can be ordered anywhere in the world, from a
catalogue or via the internet, and which seem to display utter
contempt for the context in which they are planted. Let’s also
ignore the signs used by big retail chains which are the same
in every city – with their corporate logos, the world’s leading
brands apply prefabricated concepts to a reality which, in its
complexity, is in fact quite unpredictable. Let us therefore
concentrate on those elements which were conceived for a
quite specific context in the here and now. I accuse the
designers of these visual signs of simply creating the corre-
sponding artwork on their computer screen using graphics
programs rather than looking at the situation on site, and thus
transferring their creations to a reality which they do not really
take into consideration. At best, they may go on to adapt the
dimensions of the signs, to one degree or another. And here
too, as an observer of urban nuances I have to say that I often
encounter the opposite. These adjustments are more in the
nature of approximations, they rarely relate to the graphic
aspects. They appear to be independent of the context,
heterogeneous, unintegrated, that is to say purely functional.
All this is completely pointless if the context is not observed,
and in the end the results appear trivial and uninspired, in fact
superfluous. These observations remind me of a film about
Indian sign-writers who, despite their extraordinary skill, were
forced to work with the computer in order to remain credible.
These “specialists” thus ended up creating visual signs of
incredible mediocrity. One may develop a message which
relates to the surrounding location, designed true to scale
for  the specific situation, while the other sits in front of a
screen, a surface, which is then transferred to the location –
a  cultural catastrophe, brought about by the industry for
printed products; a question of contextualisation, which finds
itself in crisis here.
By way of contrast, the fantastic cinema posters of the 1950s
and 60s from California or Las Vegas show (is this proof really
necessary?) that no fundamental dichotomy exists between
the modern and graphic symbols. Why, then, do we see so
The winning competition entry for the Europaallee in the city
centre of Zurich was developed jointly with the landscape
architect. In the end, the graphic design only played a subor-
dinate role in the design and was expressly kept minimalistic,
because in the somewhat purist Zurich any prominent signage
or image is viewed critically. The rows of trees assist orien-
tation and deliberately conceal the signs. They also have a
calming effect on the nearby railway station quarter.
Urban development master plan: KCAP Architects and Planners,
Kees Christiaanse; landscape architecture: Rotzler Krebs Partner;
graphic design: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Zurich, Ruedi Baur, Axel
Steinberger, Jana Strozinsky; lighting design: Rolf Derrer
much mediocrity? What has changed? Why are visual signs
regarded as environmental pollution? Ultimately, it is clear
that a dreadful mess has been created. Due to a completely
justified rejection of a flood of repeated and decontextual-
ised symbols, something is being forbidden which makes it
possible for people to recognise special meanings and orient
and inform themselves. The passing of laws to this effect pre-
vents one aspect having a profound effect on the other. Out
of fear of aggressive advertising by major brands, an impor-
tant dimension of the dynamics of city centres is increasingly
vanishing.
Instead of discussing the quality of the visual signs – as was
the case in the past – nowadays the debate revolves around
the question of whether or not these signs should be allowed.
Now that we have established that a crisis has been reached,
let us now analyse the complex relationships between archi-
tecture and graphic design by turning our attention now
from our historical city centres to take a look at the develop-
ing city.
3
Integration
PL ANNING SIGNAGE of signs and space

70
71

At a table in Different context, different project:

the TGV from we have come away from a meeting
Strasbourg to to discuss the signage for a large
Paris media library somewhat baffled.
The building was virtually finished,
the fixtures and fittings ordered, the furnishings chosen. More-
over, the entire facility was dominated by a striking colour
design. During the meeting, the client had expressed his fear
that the different departments of the media library did not
differ sufficiently from one another as well as his concerns
regarding the whole atmosphere of the building. How can a
connection be created between the building, its function and
its contents? Although both of the main players regarded a
signage system as being necessary, one could discern a cer- I personally was rather worried when we first presented our
tain contradiction between their respective wishes. Time was ideas, fearing the reaction of the architects, who might see
short – the media library was scheduled to open in six months the coherence of their almost completed project as being
time – so swift action was necessary. compromised. In contrast, the clients, I imagined, would
Naturally, the signage must always be based on respect for probably be quite happy with our answer, as far as the alloca-
the architectural project. However, the word respect is not to tion of uses went. I would have liked to have discussed this
be understood as being synonymous with reticence. In such a with the architects at an earlier stage in the project. However,
situation, when one doesn’t yet really know the architects, even before the end of the presentation it was clear to me that
everything is at stake. I remember that the idea of an addi- we had pulled it off. The architects were delighted, because
tional typographic level came up at this meeting. It resulted they had very quickly grasped the potential which our pro-
from a series of insoluble requirements and ultimately from posal offered. It was immediately arranged that it should be
the reading of the architecture. The use of colour was possible for the signage to be embedded in the screed, which
intended literally to connect the old parts of the building with at the time was just being poured. From this moment on, a
the new, as well as integrating the fixtures and fittings. The fruitful collaboration continued until the completion of the pro-
proposal was developed further over the following weeks. ject. A typographic level was superimposed on the facades and

Competition for the renovation of the AP2, an old ship-
yard fabrication hall in the French city of Dunkirk known
as the “Cathedral”. Instead of squeezing the planned
allocation of space for the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais, a
collection of contemporary art, into the existing build-
ing and thus destroying the spatial effect of the hall, the
architects decided during the course of the competition
to build a second hall with the same dimensions and to
preserve the “Cathedral” in its present condition. The
graphic design was intended to make the layout of the
building legible through the transparent facade; after
winning the competition this intention was taken up
by the institution’s in-house graphic designers. It was
crucial that the architects were able to implement their
planned concept. Architecture: Lacaton & Vassal; graphic
design competition: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Paris, Ruedi Baur,
Olivier Duzelier, Sébastien Thiery; client: Communauté
Urbaine de Dunkerque, FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais
interiors consisting of quotations from works held in the library,
which in turn contain terms important in terms of signage.
The point here is not to present a project but to show how the
graphic expression can be integrated with an architectural
project at a late stage. If one of the two already exists, the
interaction with the other can only develop unilaterally. The
precision with which one discipline is adapted to the other is
all the more important in this case. Incidentally, consideration
of the context affects not only the architect, but also the
graphic designer who, through their intervention, frequently
builds a bridge between container and content. They cannot
be content with reinforcing the spatial solution and the mate-
rials, the dimensions, the forms, the dominant colours, they
must also take into account the way the site is going to be
used. And this in turn involves a bringing-together of the dis-
ciplines.
Around a Yet another project. Here too the
conference location is largely immaterial. Rather,
table at a Paris it serves to illustrate the kind of
architectural interdisciplinary exchange which is
practice typical in competitions or in the ini-
tial phases of architectural projects.
Various well-known figures sit around the rather drab confer-
ence table. The architects have invited a landscape designer
and myself as lighting designer. It looks set to be a prolonged
and very intensive working meeting. To begin with, we are
presented with a summary of the requirements of the compe-
tition. The architects outline their impressions and produce
sketches showing their initial ideas. The issues involved
and  the potential of the situation gradually become clear.
Although the architects are ahead of the other participants in
their knowledge, they still remain very attentive, even hesi-
tant; they are prepared to develop their own proposal with
the aid of the ideas which are maturing during the course
of the discussion. However, their presentation sets the tone.
Anyone is free to develop their own concept of the project on
the basis of these ideas. The original designs are ultimately
strengthened through the attempts to improve them or ques-
tion them constructively.
Finally, then, the time comes to respond to the specific
requirements of the project, with the risk that the nature of
the dialogue might change. Each consultant will address the
brief in their own way on the basis of their specialist knowl-
edge. They contribute their own point of view without losing
sight of the overall brief and thus exceeding the boundaries
of their discipline. The ideas bubble forth. Some succeed in
establishing themselves. In this way, a synergy gradually
develops around a proposal. The proposals align with one
another, a consensus appears to have been reached. At this
point, thinking within the bounds of one’s own discipline
would be wholly inappropriate. The prime objective is to
approach the brief and the overall interests of the project
appropriately. The role of the architects here is one of synthe-
sis. Each participant in the overall process must examine the
correctness of the design in terms of their own sphere of com-
petence, with the architect retaining their central role irre-
spective of the visibility of the original design. In the present
case it was decided to opt for a facade design in the form of a
vertical garden. The vegetation thus became one of the most
important forms of expression in the project. Lighting and
graphic design are subordinate to this, and in fact seek to
enhance this aspect.
This apparently simple solution creates a mood of elation
around the conference table. However, this appearance can
be misleading. Even though it is assumed at this meeting that
the concept will be created on an interdisciplinary basis and
the project developed jointly, continued progress depends
on a structured exchange between the individual disciplines
3
Integration
PL ANNING SIGNAGE of signs and space

72
73

in which each specialist plays a role. If the original team is sup-

plemented by new players in order to fulfil the requirements
of the design, others must accept their reduced role, possibly
even give up their area of responsibility within the project.
The consultants who remain involved could make use of
the synergy of the project to jointly negotiate their particular
proposal. This would facilitate mutual integration. However,
apart from merging the individual projects into a joint project,
the biggest advantage of this method, which is based from
the outset on an interdisciplinary exchange, is that it repre-
sents a de-hierarchisation of the forms of expression. The
joint development of the vertical garden from the beginning
led to a different form than if this had been left to the archi-
tects alone. By establishing itself as the central element, the
garden narrows the architectural conception in a positive way.
The signage, the fixtures and fittings and the lighting also
have to accommodate it. Sometimes a decision makes it nec-
essary for individual disciplines to take a back seat, because
in the interest of the project unnecessary overstatement is
inappropriate.
In the competition for the design
of the French pavilion at Expo 2010
in Shanghai, the scenography was
developed by an interdisciplinary
team. The content and form of the
architecture and exhibition were
developed in parallel, with the roles
being allocated according to the
needs of the competition.
Architecture: Jacques Ferrier Architec-
ture; landscape architecture: Agence
Ter; graphic design: Laboratoire IRB,
Ruedi Baur, Denis Coueignoux, David
Thoumazeau, Marion Nielsen, Sébastien
Thiery
3
STACHUS PASSAGEN
MUNICH, D
Signage: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Zurich
Architecture: Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten, Munich

PASSAGEN Circular form as The mall-like underpass on the Karlsplatz

In the same way that the public urban space is continued
underground, the underground space “surfaces” through
the signage and design of the entrances and exits.
74
75
guiding element known as the Stachus is one of the busi-
Ceiling as information est interfaces in Munich’s public trans-
carrier port network, providing access to the
U-Bahn, S-Bahn and tram. It also contains
busy shopping and gastronomic zones. The object of the reconception of
the concourse was to redesign the very confused circulation level on the
lower ground floor, dating from the 1970s, to create a contemporary,
attractive public urban space offering functional added value and a quality
user experience. The form of the encircling Stachus rondel in the square
above was referenced in the underground concourse and forms its key
creative principle. These references between above and below ground
make it easier for visitors to orient themselves within the underground
“roundabout”. The circular central structure is an identity-defining element
at which all important routes converge.
The geometrical form of the circle is also the determining design feature
of  the multifunctional, reflective ceiling which, together with the light
terrazzo floor, creates a space providing the maximum sense of daylight.
The metal ceiling rings of different diameters carry the signage and are
integrated into the design of the ceiling on the first lower ground level.
Guiding elements such as texts, arrows and pictograms are applied to the
outside and inside of the ceiling rings in opaque film lettering. The applica-
tion of the guidance elements to the ceiling as a free spatial area means
that they remain readable without obstruction, thus providing the user with
orientation, even at busy times of day. They are guided in a simple way
through clear visual relationships.
main station
Towards the

n st he
n
atio
mai ards t
Tow

Towards the
Sendlinger Tor

Karl
s
(Sta platz
chu
s)

To
Al war
tst ds
tz

ad th
npla

tri e
Marie rds

ng
Towa
STACHUS
 Pos. 1 Pos. 2 Pos. 3 Pos. 4
400 mm
surface
Visible

400 mm
surface
Visible

Pos. 3

In order to facilitate orientation, the stairways are visible

from every point. The signage elements are located on the
wall surfaces at the foot of the escalators or on the front
Pos. 4

Pos. 2
surfaces of the escalators.

Pos. 1

The ceiling rings are painted brown on the outside

and white on the inside, with directional information
provided on each side – directions to public transport
on the outside, directions to the exits on the inside.

Floor plan of 1st lower ground level Scale 1:3000

Floor plan of 2nd lower ground level Scale 1:3000

3
MÉDIATHÈQUE ANDRÉ MALRAUX
STRASBOURG, F
Signage: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Paris
Architecture: Jean Marc Ibos, Myrto Vitart, Paris

ANDRÉ MAL Dominance When it was converted into a media

of colour library, the external form of the former
Different grain silo in the inland port in Strasbourg
typographies was retained, glass facades added and
the warehouse building opened up to
create a lofty entrance hall. The dominance of the reinforced-concrete and
brick architecture contrasts with the expressive red-coloured band which
was also designed by the architects. In the interior, this band runs over
walls, ceilings and floors, pillars, furnishings and service engineering fix-
78 tures, alleviating the massive effect of the structural design. It ignores
79 structural demarcations and coats the spaces like a second skin, thus creat-
ing varied room scenarios. For the orientation system, which was only
added at a very late stage in the design process, words were chosen
instead of symbols: these overlay the red bands, forming their own graphic
level. They stand as a metaphor for the documents archived in the media
library and, beyond their content and visual effect, serve as a guidance
system. All the terms necessary for the signage are embedded in quoted
passages of text taken from the library’s collection of books, with the rele-
vant word being highlighted in colour. Seven different typographic styles
are used to emphasise the words highlighted in this way, referencing the
different genres represented in the media library, such as comics, litera-
ture or science. The sentence elements grouped around the key term are
given a visual strikethrough effect, creating an alienated, less prominent
secondary typeface.

The guiding terms are

highlighted from quoted
passages of text and are
differentiated through
colour highlighting and
seven different typographic
styles. A line running
through the middle of
the typeface distorts the
accompanying text.
MÉDIATHÈQUE
RAUX The red band runs through the entire structure of the
building, including all components as well as fixtures and
fittings and ignores demarcations. This creates varied
spatial scenarios.
Floor plan of ground floor Scale 1:1000
In the entrance area, the red band designed by the architects
uses a visual stretching effect to draw visitors into the build-
ing; inside, its branchings fluidly connect the different spatial
zones. The signage superimposes its own creative level on the
vibrant colour scheme.
3
HOLON DESIGN MUSEUM
HOLON, IL
Signage: Adi Stern Design, Jerusalem
Architecture: Ron Arad Architects, London

DESIGN
Fluid transition Signage and architecture enter into an
from 2D to 3D unusual symbiosis in the Holon Design
Play with light Museum. The iconography of the flowing
and shade and moving bands of weatherproof steel
Multilingualism which dominate the external form of the
museum is reiterated in the formal lan-
guage of the signage, which is not, however, intended to compete with the
dynamic architecture of the building. The guidance and orientation system
transforms two-dimensional arrows into three-dimensional elements of
82 different lengths emerging progressively from the wall surface so that – as
83 white forms against a white background – they primarily stand out through
their shadows. In doing so they pick up on the flow and movement of the
steel band and, together with the grey-toned lettering and pictograms,
generate a subtle texture which nonetheless lends the signage a presence
of its own. All information – where not presented as universally understand-
able pictograms – is communicated in the three main languages used in
Israel: Hebrew, English and Arabic, which at the same time involves the
use of three different kinds of script. In order to integrate these in a non-
hierarchical system, a new Hebrew font was developed which produces a
harmonic overall effect with the Arabic and Latin characters.

Shades of white and grey underline the subtle character

of the orientation system.
 HOLON
MUSEUM

Light and shadows are

key design elements of
the signage.
3 PL ANNING SIGNAGE

Beate Kling

84
85 Universal design

What is univer- Universal design is an international

sal design? design concept which demands that
all spaces and products should be
usable under all circumstances by all people, irrespective of
age, ability and situation. “Universal design means neither
standardisation nor cultural uniformity. Rather, the concept of
universal design is based on a social, i.e. people-oriented,
approach to design, the aim of which is to make the entire
environment which is designed by people for people acces-
sible and usable for as many people as possible. Irrespective
of their individual abilities, their age and gender or their
cultural background, it should be made possible for all peo-
ple to participate equally in society. Stigmatisation through
a design which excludes people from the availment and use
of certain services, spaces and products should be avoided
from the outset.”1
Universal design, as a concept and term, was formulated in
the 1980s by the Center of Universal Design at North Carolina
State University in Raleigh. The key figure and founder is
the  American designer and architect Ronald L. Mace. As a
general concept and sustainable approach, universal design
combines a series of conceptual ideas. Since it is a global
concept, the aims differ according to the cultural background
of the different countries. Terms such as “accessible design”,
“freedom from barriers” and “design for all” express different
embodiments of the approach. Universal design, with its
alignment towards market orientation and individual rights,
is seen as reflecting the American perspective, whereas the
expression “design for all”, which stands for integration and
participation in society with integrative group thinking can be
seen as a more European approach. These terms represent
the poles which characterise the different cultures and their
respective interests. The principles of universal design were
defined in 1997 by the Universal Design Institute and sum-
 marised in the following keywords: “1. Equitable use, 2. Flexi-
bility in use, 3. Simple and intuitive use, 4. Perceptible infor-
mation, 5. Tolerance for error, 6. Low physical effort, 7. Size
and space for approach and use”. 2 Detailed guidelines
explain these principles more precisely and highlight impor-
tant aspects which a design should fulfil according to this
approach.3

Universal The fundamental approach of univer-

thinking – sal design requires a mindset which
a process aims at integrated, comprehensive
solutions. These should, as far as pos-
sible, enable as many users as possible to cope with and
understand their environment – both as an end product and
in conjunction with the user’s surroundings and different
products, forms of communication, information technologies
and services. This conceptual approach is highly complex
and demands a comprehensive, multilayered, in fact univer-
sal way of thinking.
Universal design should be understood as a process which, in
its implementation, involves approaching the optimum. It is
therefore necessary to consider at the beginning of the pro-
ject which design goals are being pursued and should be
given priority, and which should be treated as being of more
secondary importance. This objective, and what constitutes
its successful achievement, have already been decided at the
outset. By today's standards, universal design must be the
implicit objective of any project and thus has implications for
the entire planning and design process. It should promote
individual autonomy, support independence and thus auto-
matically integrate all users.

Signage The principles of universal design

Top: Along the paths of the Eifel National Park, information is
provided in raised capital letters, in Braille or in acoustic form.
Above: Sound Space signs visually indicate available acoustic
signals. Concept: Davide Tidoni, graphic design: eKID.it
Left and below: The media steles in the Bode Museum and
in the New Museum in Berlin provide information according
to the principles of universal design. The height-adjustable
monitors can be used from both a standing and seated
position. Concept: polyform – planen und gestalten
420 170
Height adjustment
Eye level, standing
1500
Eye level, seated
1250
620
in the context formulated by Ronald L. Mace posi-
of universal tively imply the right to and neces-
design sity of integrated signage which is
designed to facilitate as far as possi-
ble the autonomous, simple use of spaces.
Although the importance of universal design has been recog-
nised, its level of implementation is rather limited in relation
to the entire scope of creative processes. However, the objec-
tives and stipulations with regard to the design of barrier-free
spaces are formulated in very concrete terms. Ease of access
for all users and, in the wider context, freedom from barriers
are important considerations which, due to the particular
planning requirements relating to these, have a great influ-
ence on the design of spaces and signs as well as their effect.
The implementation of these aspects in the built environment
has been enforced for some years. Freedom from barriers, as
a performance criterion, is a fixed component of standards
and public law regulations which, reflecting public attitudes,
is continually being adjusted to social conditions.

Signage is linked directly with a building in terms of both

design and building law and is necessarily subject to its
choreography. DIN 18 040-1 “Barrier-free Building – Basis
for Planning – Part 1: Publicly Accessible Buildings”, updated
1790

300 300–500 in October 2010, includes for the first time, in the section
Wheelchair Viewing and operating “Warning / Orientation / Information / Guidance” remarks on
clearance distance sensory requirements as well as stipulations regarding visual,
auditory and tactile conditions which make direct reference
to the concept of universal design. For the first time, in what
920

had hitherto been virtually a pure construction standard,

aspects of construction planning are interwoven with specific
requirements concerning signage. Universal design means
addressing the needs of all users. In addition to persons with
impaired vision and hearing, as well as motor disabilities
10

which require the use of mobility aids or wheelchairs, these

also include, for example, persons who are larger or smaller
3
Universal design

A
2
3
PL ANNING SIGNAGE

1 4

5
7

Your Position 2 Big Festival Hall 5 IT Service Center

Guide Terminal 3 Small Festival Hall 6 Copy Shop

1 Helpdesk, Pickup, Return 4 IT Powerstore 7 Book Store

The analogue information carriers of the guidance system

86 on the campus of the Vienna University of Economics
87 and Business integrate features designed for the visually
impaired according to the principles of universal design:
tactile lettering (prismatic and Braille), pictograms and
network plans with guidance lines are supplemented
through audio outputs of interactive media such as digital
door displays. Concept: bauer – konzept & gestaltung

In the Università metro station in Naples, floor indicators for

the visually impaired were integrated in the design concept.
Design: Karim Rashid

than average, persons with cognitive deficiencies, plus older

people, children and those encumbered with pushchairs or
luggage.

Tolerant No separate guidelines or laws gov-

and intelligent erning universal design have been
design introduced as yet. However, the im-
plementation of individual aspects
is covered by various national and international standards
and norms. The response to the multilayered nature of indi-
vidual disabilities or limitations and its concrete implemen-
tation also always depend on which individual aspects or
contexts need to be taken into consideration, for example
whether only visual elements are going to be used, or also
tactile and auditory elements, and whether these are availa-
ble or actually feasible. For example, the requirements of
visually impaired people can be accommodated by means
of reflective guidance strips on the floor, large typefaces and
clear colour contrasts. Ergonomic flexibility makes it possible
for physically disabled persons to use communication systems
such as touchscreens, help buttons or audio access systems
through having adjustable height levels. However, the pro-
cess of weighing up the alternatives should always be aimed
at allowing the greatest possible diversity of use according to
the principles of universal design.

The general statutory requirements leave sufficient scope for

the requirements of universal design to be fulfilled with
 respect to signage; nonetheless, to date hardly any orienta-
tion system has truly implemented these. This represents one
major challenge which also reflects our current social situa-
tion, because the inclusion of all interest groups also gener-
ates conflicts. Both the coexistence of people with different
needs and the processing of information require a high
degree of tolerance and perspective, because we all initially
focus our perception around our own needs. What assists
the visually impaired through the use of intensive colours or
outsize letters may be an irritation to those with good eye-
sight. The solution is always a compromise which must be
acceptable to all.
On the campus of the Vienna University of Economics and
Business, which will be opened in 2014, the signage is being
planned consistently according to the principles of universal
design. In addition to functional requirements such as the
testing of the colours for persons with different types of
colour blindness or persons with poor eyesight, particular
attention was paid to the needs of blind people. Tactile letter-
ing, specially-developed pictograms and network plans with
guidance lines on analogue information carriers are supple-
mented by interactive terminals and digital door signs with
audio output. The University’s website takes into account
the fact that blind persons generally inform themselves about
their destination at home or on the way there in order to be
able to find their way around more quickly on site at the cam-
pus. A good and universally understandable orientation sys-
tem thus already begins well before the signage on site.4

Universal design is one of the most complex and exciting

challenges for all those who are involved in this area of design
and has enormous potential for the future. We are still a long
way from the automatic integration of every aspect of plan-
ning and design. Only gradually is it becoming accepted that
interdisciplinary collaboration is essential. Signage represents
a modular component in this context. The individual working
methods and design aspects are conceptual tasks and only in
their totality ensure the complete success of a concept. Con-
sistent universal thinking throughout the entire development
process forms the basis for universal design, both as an aspi-
ration and as a process.

1 http://www.idz.de/de/sites/1368.html, accessed on 19 June 2012

2 http://www.udinstitute.org/newLanguages/German-25.pdf, accessed on
19 June 2012
3 http://www.udinstitute.org/principles.php, accessed on 19 June 2012
4 Project description for campus of the Vienna University of Economics and
Business and contextualisation: Erwin Bauer, Bauer – konzept & gestaltung,
Vienna

The guidance system for the Storehagen Atrium,

a government building in Førde, Norway, was
designed to accommodate the visually impaired,
with coloured bands which start at the entrance,
to guide visitors through the building and end
in an enlarged form as destination confirmations.
Signage: Ralston & Bau
3
FAMILY BOX
BEIJING, CN
Signage: Didelidi studio, Beijing
Architecture: crossboundaries architects, Beijing

Child-friendly symbols The concept of the Family Box, a build-

Comic elements ing providing different leisure activities
Large typography for families with children up to 12 years
Simple word formulas old, offers a mixture of interactive ac-
tivity centre and kindergarten. Free-
standing boxes serve as spaces for the individual activities such as music-
making, dancing, handicrafts or cooking; there is also a swimming pool, a
café and a reading zone. Because of its small size and limited number of
clearly structured spaces, the building did not require a typical information
88 system. The starting point for the planning of the room descriptions and
89 direction signs were the different sizes and viewing heights of children and
adults. And so the architects have played with the levels, creating different
visual relationships through specifically positioned openings.
The diverse uses of the boxes are highlighted visually through pictures and
typographic elements. The graphic design of the interior makes use of
forms, language and colours taken from comics and decorates the walls
with cartoon figures and large typography made of thick felt. The children
and their parents become part of this stimulating fantasy world in which
information is communicated using icons in a child-friendly way.
The idea of the Box is continued through the logo on flyers and brochures
as well as in the design of the Family Box website. Viewed from afar, line
drawings of children appear on the translucent glass facade, indicating the
function of the building.

The motif of the Box is continued in the logo; the

website also uses the comic figures which identify
the different areas.
FAMILY BOX
Graphic elements and large typography
communicate what the children can expect
in the different boxes in a way appropriate
to the target group – the function is described
for the adults in a smaller typeface below.

90
91
175

90

Numerous visual relationships are created

between the different levels and through the
openings in the boxes.
3 UNDER
UNDERGROUND CAR PARK,
HOCHHAUS AM PARK
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, D
Signage: quandel design, Frankfurt am Main
Architecture: MMZ Architekten, Frankfurt
am Main

PARK, HOCHH
92
93

The signage system was realised bilingually. Large, bold

black lettering and arrows against a white background
guide visitors through the underground car park to their
parking space or to the exit.
GROUND CAR
AUS AM PARK

User-oriented Despite its floor area of 9500 m2 over three

colour allocation levels, the layout of the underground car
Bold typography park in the Hochhaus am Park is very frag-
Bilingual mented and labyrinthine. The brief was to
develop a guidance system which allows
drivers to find their parking space or the exit as easily as possible; at the
same time a pedestrian orientation system was to be developed in order to
guide tenants, customers and visitors safely around the very confusing
underground car park. While the typography, based on contrasting black
on white, allows drivers to orient themselves quickly, the vivid green on the
walls and floors marks the way to the stairwells for pedestrians. In addition,
this colour warns drivers that they need to be particularly alert for pedestri-
ans in these areas. The basic principle of the guidance and orientation sys-
tem, of dispensing entirely with signs, is applied consistently through all
areas of the underground car park. All lettering is applied directly to the
wall and is bilingual, since the tenants in the high-rise building are mostly
international companies. The use of the large, bold typography creates
striking markings which stand out clearly from the structural elements and
the fragmented layout of the individual parking levels. In this way the
signage becomes a space-defining element of the underground car park.

The vivid green on the walls and on

the floor shows pedestrians which way
to go. Arrows and floor numbers appear
as negative areas in white.
3
VOLKSSCHULE TSCHAGGUNS
TSCHAGGUNS, A
Signage: Sägenvier DesignKommunikation, Dornbirn
Architecture: Lang Vonier Architekten, Göfis

TSCHAGGUNS Symbols drawn The head teacher’s proposal that the chil-
by children dren should be involved in the design of
Dialect words the new logo became the basic idea for
Muted colour scheme the development of the signage for the
primary school, the renovated gymna-
sium building with its new extension and the kindergarten. The graphic
designers asked the children for ideas for symbols and pictograms, incor-
porated these in an overall concept and then applied the designs directly
to the materials of the architecture – wood, glass, concrete and MDF – in
94 high-quality silver and satin-finish films.
95 Throughout the school site, the signage uses no actual signs at all. At the
entrance to the school yard, the concrete wall is decorated with words in
the local dialect which relate to activities which take place in the yard and
in the school: luaga (looking), losna (hearing), schwätza (chatting), tanza
(dancing), stauna (being amazed).
The concept shows that children have a particular gift for abstraction – their
representations are reduced to the essential properties. The elements of
the signage, developed from sketches, have an authentic and lively feel,
and the children can identify with the design.
VOLKSSCHULE
The graphic designers developed the symbols and visual language for the
primary school jointly with the children. Together with drawings, the windows
are also decorated with around 450 job descriptions – real and invented.
3 PL ANNING SIGNAGE

Beate Kling

Analysis and systematic

specification of infor-
96
97 mation requirements

Analysis – Before the design of signage can

cause and begin, the framework conditions
effect under which an orientation system is
to be designed and developed must
be determined and analysed. These form the basis for the
system concept; the guiding principles for the design are
formulated with reference to these conditions, which can be
derived from the following six areas:
– the data obtained from the analysis of the spatial and
building type
– the building itself and its architecture
– the projected circulation routes with traffic flows, routing
and overlaps
– the definition of the target group and users with their
specific characteristics
– conditions from the viewpoint of the client, owner and
operator
– regulations and standards

Spatial and building type The nature of the space is

the constant which must always be referred to directly in the
planning of signage before any other requirement is evalu-
ated and considered; it has the greatest and most direct influ-
ence on the signage concepts. Turn left, turn right, go up and
straight ahead again – all too often the desire to develop
holistic concepts is already exhausted at this stage.
Types differentiate buildings and spaces according to criteria
of use and structural designs with their associated circulation
structures, which can be horizontal, vertical, directionless or
interwoven. Whether floor plans are geometrical or amor- The systematic information specification for
phous has different effects on orientation. The arrangement the University Hospital Greifswald lists the desti-
of spaces and sequences of rooms as well as the resulting nations alphabetically and links them with the
information necessary to get there. The complex
visual relationships represent a crucial factor for ease of ori- route layouts are transformed into a clear graphic
entation. So the formal and spatial characteristics associated design. Signage: Beate Kling Architekten
with the typologies and their contexts in terms of the use
of  space must be recognised in order to respond to these
characteristics through the design of guidance and orienta-
tion systems.
Architecture Irregular forms and complex floor plans
impose different requirements on guidance systems than
intuitively readable room layouts in symmetrical arrange-
ments. For example, an H-form with its inner logic is more
self-explanatory than an amorphous form with many changes
in direction. This is shown by examples like the central build-
ing of the BMW plant in Leipzig, in which the signage reflects
the form of the building, as well as the Bernaqua leisure spa
complex with its direction arrows guiding the visitor through
the building from space to space (p. 106 /107).
Circulation routes Circulation routes are the arteries
of buildings, connecting the individual spaces. Their design
influences the way people move and find their way around
in buildings and to a significant degree determines how well
a building functions. The more organised circulation routes
are, the more self-explanatory the relationship between
spaces. Circulation routes can intersect, overlay or run paral-
lel to one another. The efficiency of access is determined by
the conjunction of the horizontal and vertical structure of a
building. In order to combine the horizontal and vertical
routes effectively it is necessary to analyse their relation-
ship,  for example the accessibility of steps, lifts, ramps or
bridges, the lengths of a routes, their directness or freedom
from intersections. Signage can explain or differentiate the
connections, combine or divide traffic flows (see Signterior,
p. 108/109), define hierarchies, mark intersections (see Katta
Civic Polyclinic, p. 14/15) and visualise distances (see Store-
hagen Atrium, p. 87).
Even today, digital information technologies are able to ana-
lyse individual or current peripheral conditions and on this
basis show a virtually unlimited number of routes in real time,
as for example in the Alexandrinum Woonmall shopping cen-
tre in Rotterdam (see p. 142). In the Zeilgalerie in Frankfurt am
Main, visitors can use a terminal with touchscreen function to
select their desired destination within the shopping centre,
whereupon the route is displayed. Using a QR code, this
three-dimensional sequence of directions can also be trans-
ferred to and displayed on a smartphone.
Target groups and users In order to adapt signage
specifically to the clientele who are to be guided or addressed,
it is necessary to define a user profile. For this purpose, the
characteristics of the target group need to be analysed. In
addition to the general public, users may, for example, be
visitors to and customers of various institutions, patients,
exclusively staff and persons with access authorisation, sup-
pliers with and without knowledge of the location, children,
the young or the elderly or those with individual or multiple
disabilities. The group-specific characteristics and the age
structure of the target group have effects on the design and
visual appearance of the information system.
From the users’ viewpoint, what they require from the signage
is that it should convey information in a simple, uncompli-
cated way, that the information, signs and symbols should be
readily understandable and that they should be able to find
their way to their destination quickly.

The overview floor plan of the University

Hospital Greifswald shows the destination
coding using letters and numbers. In order to
develop the information system, the areas of
influence of the individual destinations were
determined. Signage: Beate Kling Architekten
3
Analysis and systematic
specification of infor-
mation requirements
PL ANNING SIGNAGE
98
99
Client, owner and operator The client’s requirements
also have a major influence on the design of the system as
well as its later operation. It is important for the client, and in
particular the operator, to be able to control and influence
traffic flows, which gives rise to the concept of circulation lay-
out. For example, it may be decided that the user should be
able to find their way around autonomously and indepen-
dently with as few directions as possible. A further considera-
tion may be to allow the greatest possible flexibility in relation
to foreseeable or planned changes in use, relocations or
changes in the scope of the project in terms of curtailment or
additions.
It is not only the costs of the initial provision of a guidance
system which play a role in terms of operation. Parameters
such as handling, the flexibility of the system in terms of
updating, service life, effectiveness in terms of servicing and
upkeep and maintenance costs also need to be taken into
consideration and weighed up within the overall context. In
this connection, solutions which are permanently connected
with the structure of the building and which are part of the
chosen materials, for example inlays or inserts in flooring,
should be subjected to particular scrutiny (see Hypovereins-
bank, p. 127).
Regulations and standards In addition, one of the
most fundamental influences on the design, use and opera-
tion of spaces is the range of requirements dictated by regu-
lations and standards. In terms of building law, signage repre-
sents a fully integrated component of building designs and,
like the building which is to be constructed, is subject to
statutory regulations and guidelines as well as both national
and European standards, such as fire safety requirements
(DIN 4102 “Fire behaviour of building materials and building
components”, DIN EN 13 501 “Fire classification of construc-
The overview graphic shows the conceptual systematic infor-
mation specification in the new premises of the “Bibliothèque
universitaire des langues et civilisations” (BULAC). The depart-
mental structure of the university library can be read here.
Concept: Wanja Ledowski Studio with CONTOURS Soft Design
tion products and building elements”) or requirements con-
cerning construction of accessible buildings (DIN 18 040
“Construction of accessible buildings – Design principles –
Part 1: Publicly accessible buildings, Part 2: Dwellings” and
“Part 3: Public circulation areas and open spaces”, which is
currently being drafted). For example, corridors which need
to be kept free of fire loads require the use of non-combusti-
ble materials.
As well as building standards, there are also requirements
which apply to visual design, for example DIN 32 975 “Design-
ing visual information in the public area for accessible use” or
DIN 1450 – “Lettering – Legibility” regarding the contrast and
legibility of lettering. Standards governing the design of vis-
ual guidance systems for the general public such as exist in
Austria, for example (ÖNorm A 3012 and 3013), do not exist in
Germany. Norms for partial aspects have been included in
DIN 32 984 “Ground surface indicators in public areas” or will
be included in the standard “Tactile writings – Application of
Braille and raised profile writing and pictograms” which is
currently in preparation.
Additional provisions with stricter requirements apply to cer-
tain building types and regulatory categories, such as in rela-
tion to the protection of property or persons, which can have
an effect on the choice of materials and the positioning of
signage, for example federal building regulations, guidelines
and sample guidelines relating to special types of building
such as retail premises, places of assembly and accommoda-
tion, high-rise buildings and schools, building regulations in
the individual federal states, e.g. those relating to hospitals
and care homes, regulations on building products and con-
struction types, or in some cases technical building require-
ments. Due to the different regulations which apply on a
national, regional or municipal level, the applicable require-
ments need to be checked in each individual case.
 Teamwork Experience shows that information,
and process guidance and orientation systems
can only reflect the conditions de-
termined by the structure of the building and by use and lay-
out concepts. It is difficult for signage to fully compensate for
poorly organised spaces, incorrect relationships between
circulation areas and functional areas, excessively small circu-
lation spaces or an inadequate use of a building. Designs
which incorporate highly differentiated uses necessarily re-
quire more information points than a concentrated use of a
building which can be accessed with less information.
The earlier the stage at which the design of signage systems
is integrated into the design process, the higher the probabil-
ity of developing, through mutual communication, practical
and intelligent solutions which ultimately represent an inte-
grated signage system.
Thus, the client and the design team, which might include
architects, designers, communications experts, media de-
signers, lighting designers, experts in the programming and
creation of digital signage and other participants should get
together at an early stage at the beginning of a project in
order to develop a vision based on the key principles de-
scribed above and to draft guidelines in the form of a specifi-
cation or design manual. This must be accepted by all partici-
pants as the basis for design.
For design which has already been commissioned, the
sequence of consecutive steps could, for example, be as
follows (see also “The integration of symbols and space”,
p. 70 – 75):
– Analysis, review of the existing situation and examination
of the brief by the architects and specialists involved in the
design of the signage
– Kick-off meeting and follow-up meetings with the aim of
developing guidelines, optional formation of a working
group in which the client is involved
– Implementation of the findings in design manuals, specifi-
cations or other binding agreements setting out all decla-
rations of intent and framework conditions. At the same
time the formulated guidelines represent a tool of mutual
reassurance during the course of the design process.
– Development of a preliminary design/overall concept in a
first phase
– Presentation, detailed discussion and adoption of the
results by the team and in the working group, including at
least the client

Parameters for signage

Spatial and Client, owner,

Architecture Circulation routes Target group, users Regulations, standards
building type occupier

Characteristics
of the type
Structure of use
Single use, mixed use,
parallel uses with
spatial demarcation,
overlapping uses
Building form, volume
Floor plan layout
Spatial characteristics
Spatial relationships
Sequences of rooms
Visual relationships
within the building
Constructions
Fire protection
Access structure
Route layout, traffic flows,
overlapping of circulation
routes, distances
Horizontal and
vertical access
Stairs, lifts, ramps,
levels, relationships
between levels
Visual relationships
within and to
circulation routes
Intensity of use
Target group
characteristics
Definition of user profile
Age structure
User requirements
information must be simple
to take in, directly under-
standable, quick and clear
navigation to destination
Functionality State building
navigation by users, regulations, national,
control of traffic flows, European and inter-
flexibility in the event national standards
of changes of use, e.g. DIN, DIN EN,
changing occupation, DIN EN ISO, SN,
less /additional ÖNORM, SIA, ISO etc.
information required
Economy
Simple to update,
upkeep, servicing and
maintenance, long service
life, costs of initial installa-
tion and maintenance

Components of signage

Systematic information specification

Basis for the content of signage and information, orientation and guidance systems; tool for the structural classification of all content-related and functional information
including components relating to corporate identity/design, building identity and brand management

Signage – information, orientation and guidance systems

Translation of the systematic information specification into a readable and tangible form

Orientation Guidance
Information
Visualisation of information Materialisation of information
Definition of information
Communication, media and product design Information carriers, additional sources of information

Coding Design Components

Word codes, codes with numbers and characters,
colour coding, individual codes
Language, understanding of language, semantics
Semantic definition of word information,
technical terms, generally understandable terms,
multilingualism
Orientation aids, direction indicators Information carriers on wall, ceiling and floor
Floor plans, diagrams Braille and raised lettering
Colours, forms, material, texture, light and lighting Digital devices: monitors, touchscreens,
Screen design multi-touch systems, touch-free screen systems
Typography Additional sources of information
Typeface, type family Assistance personnel
Suitability, legibility, relationship to application Acoustic assistance in lifts, at information points
Typographic categories Printed products: flyers, brochures
System of orientation symbols Internet presence and linking
pictograms, symbols, word marks (logos), figurative marks Apps, barcodes and QR codes and their further developments
Key visuals Supplementary information software
Integration of external word and figurative marks Mobile devices: navigation devices, smart terminal devices
and marketing elements such as smart phones and tablets, autoguides
3
Analysis and systematic
specification of infor-
mation requirements
PL ANNING SIGNAGE
free-standing
d
1. 2.
Starting information Define distance,
100 digital/analogue create visual
101 information source relationship
Systematic basis of a route guidance system
– The provision and adaptation in a design/overall concept
in a second phase with final approval by clients, manage-
ment boards, senior management, supervisory boards
and/or other important bodies
– Successive implementation within the agreed scope
of performance, defined planning steps, performance
phases etc.
Systematic Signage systems consist of an in-
information formation system, orientation sys-
specification and tem and guidance system, and
implementation each of these components per-
forms a different function. None-
theless, the boundaries between these components are fluid
and cannot always be clearly defined. The weighting of the
individual components is determined by the nature of the
design brief. The basis for the signage is provided by the sys-
tematic information specification.
Systematic information specification At the heart
of any information, guidance and orientation system is the
systematic information specification. It forms the entire basis
for the content of the signage. For this purpose, purely in
terms of content, the relationships between all the parame-
ters which are of decisive importance for the project are ana-
lysed; these parameters are hierarchised and systematised,
guidance information which is formulated in language needs
to be semantically defined and the number and density of
additional sources of instructive information decided upon.
In logistical and organisational terms, quantities and flows of
information are determined and structured, circulation routes
determined, room directories compiled, the system of room
numbering and vertical and horizontal relationships defined
and fundamental programming decisions made. A visualisa-
Ceiling
Wall
Given directions
Floor
3. 4. 5. 6.
Begin Create Guidance onwards by means Destination
specific route vertical of specific route guidance confirmation
guidance references via intermediate information
tion of the systematic information specification can be helpful
for internal coordination purposes. The result is later trans-
formed into a readable, customised form using the orienta-
tion design (see Orientation Design, p. 110 – 115). The goal
definition developed through the initial analysis is the start-
ing point for the systematic information specification; the suc-
cessful communication of information in turn depends
directly on the underlying philosophy and well-conceived
nature of this specification. Sufficient space should be
allowed for its conception during the initial phase of a project.
The involvement of all partners participating in the develop-
ment of the concept is essential during this important phase.
Information, orientation and guidance system
All findings and requirements from the systematic informa-
tion specification are embodied, visually and materially, in
the information, orientation and guidance system.
The function of the information system is above all to prepare
the information content derived from the systematic informa-
tion specification and the other requirements and present
this visually. For example, it provides information on all the
functional contents of a building, the destinations to be
reached, the location of entrances, stairs, lifts, toilets and
departments or individual rooms etc. and places elements of
information in relation to one another, such as the combina-
tion of an exit with a particular service.
The orientation system translates and visualises the informa-
tion from the systematic information specification and the
information system with the aid of graphic and typographic
means and is supplemented by the components providing
direction and orientation. These can be arrows, pictograms
or symbols as well as floor plan representations positioned
on walls, on the ceiling or on the floor. They show the way to
quite specific destinations.
Larger companies or institutions frequently consist of sub-
brands or company divisions with their own visual appear-
ance which need to be integrated in the design of the signage.
These sub-brands can be subject to a constant process of
change: new brands, users or departments are added, others
dropped. The signage should be able to respond neutrally to
changes without losing its fundamental functionality, identity
and modernity.
The guidance system transfers all visualised information to
material, structural components, and into digital signage and
supplementary possibilities.
The term signage is increasingly used to refer to the represen-
tation of spatial orientation in buildings or open areas. In a
wider sense, this is particularly true if, in addition to the pure
processing of information, as well as its ordering and alloca-
tion, this involves the use, processing and linking together
of  components of corporate identity, building identity and
brand management.
Intelligent The design development of an infor-
information mation and orientation system starts
systems with the hierarchy of all the elements
derived from the brief. It defines the
levels which are to be designed and relates them to one
another in terms of content and design. In the case of under-
ground car parks for example, floor levels, exits and parking
space numbering must be related to one another and indicat-
ing and guiding hierarchical levels defined. In stadia, block
units need to be defined, categorised and visually differenti-
ated in terms of their accessibility and provision of access to
other blocks, as do indicating and directing hierarchies in
airports, from check-in to the individual gate. The information
relating to functional and routing relationships, spatial-archi-
tectural circumstances and the requirements of the target
groups are thereby brought together. At the same time, in an
integrative process, the client and designers identify admin-
istrative organisational units and functional areas which are
then taken into consideration in the concept. The levels of
hierarchy make it possible for the users to orient themselves
clearly within the overall system, since individual levels are
characterised by elements which can be clearly distinguished
from one another .
Information systems are represented by recurring and pre-
cisely selected control elements. The selection of the control
elements for the communication of information must guaran-
tee the continuity of the whole information chain – from the
starting point to the confirmation of destination. It essential-
ly depends on the size and complexity of the building, cultural
context, fixed and variable information, their quantitative
relationships as well as the quantity of the information. Gen-
erally speaking: the more information there is, the less this
can be passed on without being filtered and the sooner
it needs to be systematised and hierarchised (see University
Hospital Greifswald, p. 96 / 97, 102 – 105, Vienna airport,
p.  146 – 149). The interplay of macroelements which are
already readable from afar, as well as microelements which
can only be read close-up allows the users a differentiated
perception of the information. In this way, the signage can
respond to the users’ sequence of movement, and at the
same time the sequence of spatially staggered information
elements enhances the spatial experience and thus becomes
an important element of the interior design. The layering of
the information in design levels makes it possible to read
interior design and information separately, without the archi-
tectural connection being lost, so improving the way the
information is processed by the users. In addition, three-
dimensional design elements of the signage create a level of
perception which can strengthen the overall concept of the
architecture.
Groupings of information and hierarchies offer the possibility
of bundling a number of information elements in order to
isolate and specify these as the user approaches the destina-
tion. Thus, for example, the inclusion of a checkout pictogram
conveys the concept “checkout”. Or several destinations can
be indicated in combination by means of an abbreviation and
can be distinguished at the destination with specific informa-
tion such as “B2 Internal Medicine” and “B2 Internal Medicine
– Dialysis”.
Coding The systematisation of information is the basis
for developing information systems which allow the simple
and rapid communication of information. Codes are tools
which can be used directly for this purpose. They can be used
individually or as combinations of letters, numbers, colours
and materials as well as pictograms and arrows, and can, for
example, characterise special functions, spaces, floors or
buildings. Coding allows a large number of forms of informa-
tion to be systematically integrated in the information and
orientation hierarchies. It can be used to organise informa-
tion hierarchically or give structure to equivalent destinations
such as gates at airports or entrance doors in exhibition halls.
If a lot of information is involved or provision needs to be
made for changes of occupier and relocations, an address
can be formed which is fixed and tied to a particular location
through the definition of destination points. It is assigned the
corresponding destination information and users find their
way there using the guidance system. Since the address is
permanently assigned to a location, its use is highly flexible,
analogous to residential addresses.
The success of a combination of abbreviations or letters/
numerical codes depends on simple readability. The more
elements are linked, the greater the tendency to intervene
through the use of additional symbols such as hyphens or full
stops. However, this is more likely to make it harder to organ-
ise and recognise chains of information, whereas simple
codes which are limited to the absolutely essential make it
easier to take in the information. If additional symbols are
necessary, they should be designed so as to be easy to read
and should be used sparingly. A room numbering code for a
part of the building with level and room number can, for
example, be “L/EG-078” or – more legibly, a simplified for-
mula divided with spaces such as “L EG 078”.
Positioning The way information can be applied, and at
what height, what interval, how frequently and in which posi-
tion, depends on various parameters such as the architecture,
the design, the visual means and the requirements specified
in the standards, which in some cases differ, for example with
regard to contrast, the height of symbols in relation to view-
ing distances, levels of illumination, the determination of the
viewing distance, possible colour combinations etc. The
intensity with which spaces are used is the key factor for the
positioning of information in terms of general visibility. The
visibility height for information in congested buildings such
as airports, railways stations, sporting venues and trade fairs
is set above 2 m, so that it is not obstructed by people. In less
frequented areas, information can be positioned exactly
where it is required in the specific context and can best be
accommodated without interference (see Systematic basis of
a route guidance system, p. 100).
When developing signage, the aim must always be to trans-
late the complex requirements into ordered simplicity – or, to
put it another way, to strive for simplicity in complexity. If this
is achieved successfully, one can speak of an intelligent infor-
mation system.
3 UNIVER
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
GREIFSWALD, D
Signage: Beate Kling Architekten, Berlin
Architecture: Arkitekter Dall & Lindhardt-
sen, Helsingør; HWP Planungsgesellschaft,
Stuttgart

GREIFSWALD Fixed and variable The main building of the University Hos-
information pital Greifswald consists of the new cen-
Destination coding tral building as well as adjoining ward
through letters and wings and bridge connections leading to
numbers several existing buildings. The orienta-
tion system developed for this purpose
makes use of the chessboard-like structure on which the major part of the
building complex is based. The destination points are defined by means
of a combination of letters and numbers which links together the orthogo-
102 nally intersecting circulation routes. The successive commissioning of the
103 complex and the building structure itself requires a flexible system and
a decentralised layout. Two different colours of lettering were introduced
for this purpose – light grey for variable information and green for fixed
information.
The system which was introduced in the existing buildings was conceived
as a family of signs, the elements of which are integrated into the structural
context in different ways: through brackets which create a visual connec-
tion with the high ceilings, through wall mounting and as free-standing
information panels. The graphic concept makes use of the greatest pos-
sible contrast between the colour values: the anthracite-coloured back-
ground makes the information stand out against the mostly white setting
of the hospital; free-standing information panels in green with anthracite-
coloured lettering display information which is not related to clinical oper-
ations. The use of the same size typeface on virtually all signs creates a
calm visual appearance and makes it easier to concentrate on the informa-
tion. The chosen typeface, the colour contrasts and the viewing distances
also fulfil the needs of the visually impaired. The green edges on the infor-
mation carriers make it even easier to recognise them.

The identical graphic design of the signs focuses the visitor's attention on the
information and guarantees visual calm as well as ease of recognition. The green
and light grey colours respectively indicate fixed and flexible information.
SITY HOSPITAL
Brackets of varying heights ensure that the ceiling
signs hang at the same height in all locations; at the same
time they connect the information elements visually with
the building.
In order to guarantee continuous guidance, visual contact is
maintained between the individual information elements;
in this way the correctness of the chosen route is confirmed
at regular intervals.
The sign components and information carriers are oriented
on the grid of the wall design with its reinforced concrete
bands and clinker brickwork.
3
BERNAQUA
BERN, CH
Signage: L2M3 Kommunikationsdesign, Stuttgart
Architecture: Architekt Daniel Libeskind, Zurich

Reduction to a single The Bernaqua leisure spa complex de-

guiding element signed by Daniel Libeskind is character-
Three-dimensional ised by the intersections of surfaces and
direction arrows spaces typical of the buildings designed
by this architect, through which spatial
structures are developed which merge into one another and in which no
spatial form is repeated. The unconventional floor plan is complex and dif-
ficult to navigate. In terms of conception, what was needed was more of a
guidance system than an orientation system. Overview elements are virtu-
106 ally dispensed with in the spa; only a few different components are used to
107 guide the visitors from room to room. A listing of destinations in the form
of lettering in combination with direction arrows provides easy-to-grasp
and simple-to-understand aids to orientation. The reduction of the colour
scheme to black and white as well as the maximum contrast between wall
surfaces and applied elements achieved through this harmonise with the
architecture. The arrow elements are three-dimensional and react to the
inclination of the wall – the front surface of the arrows is always perpendicu-
lar to the floor. The differing inclinations of the walls and the varying direc-
tions in which the arrows point create different forms, no arrow element
occurs twice. In contrast to the intersection of flat surfaces in the architec-
ture and the arrows emerging at an angle to these, the chosen typeface is
“soft”. The letters are stamped and minimally raised above the jointing pat-
tern of the architecture.

60 mm 177 mm

90°
min.
10 mm

55°

30 mm

min.
10 mm

Directions are indicated by lettering combined with three-dimen-

sional direction arrows projecting from the wall. The wall surfaces
are inclined; however, the front surfaces of the arrows are always
perpendicular to the floor.
BERNAQUA
3
SIGNTERIOR
SHANGHAI, CN
Signage: ujidesign, Tokyo
Architecture: A-ASTERISK, Shanghai; A-I-SHA architects, Shanghai

Disentanglement This office and business building in

of circulation routes Shanghai combines three different uses.
Differentiation These are accessed via several main
through colour entrances, which results in a complex
allocation system of circulation. One of the main
functions of the information and orienta-
tion system is therefore to guide visitors clearly at the entrance level. This
is achieved through a close integration of signage and interior design (Sign
+ Interior = Signterior). Three different colours differentiate the areas visu-
108 ally – silver for the retail spaces on the ground floor of the high-rise build-
109 ing, gold for the standard office spaces on the second and third floors and
bronze for the premium office spaces on the other floors. Applied to the
floor in the form of lines and areas of colour, they guide visitors coming
from several directions directly to the different lifts and escalators serving
the different floors. In this way, the traffic flows are differentiated, hierar-
chised and divided at an early stage; the circulation routes are defined in a
self-explanatory way. Here, the effect of the signage is not simply one of
imposing order, but of orchestration, and is deliberately used to enhance
the quality and attractiveness of the architecture. As it is integrated into
the floor, it needed to be simpler to understand and larger than informa-
tion applied to the walls.
In order to guarantee adequate durability, the colours and lettering were
screen-printed onto a fabric which is arranged between sheets of non-slip
glass. On the upper floors, framing structures on the walls and large illumi-
nated numbers guide visitors to the different rooms.

The graphic framing of the routes on the upper

floors creates a new spatial identity and divides up
the long corridors.
SIGNTERIOR
The rounded edges of the architecture and the
transition between wall and ceiling have been
incorporated into the orientation system.
3 PL ANNING SIGNAGE

Torsten Krüger

110
111 Orientation design

The development of the design for an information and orien-

tation system starts with the overall communication concept.
This “big idea”, derived from the content of the theme which
is to be addressed creatively, forms the link between architec-
ture, design and signage. It builds on the elements of both
the corporate identity and the building identity, but in addi-
tion creates its own level of design and perception which
enhances the value and functional efficiency of the building.
Conceptually, signage develops the space further than can
generally be achieved through the architecture alone and
thus offers the opportunity to optimise the architecture from
the user's perspective. The signage can adopt, complement
and carefully accentuate the building’s architectural language.
However, it can also disrupt an architectural concept, surprise
the user, lead to new unaccustomed ways of seeing or con-
sciously dominate the architecture. All strategies are conceiv-
able and are in fact pursued in practice, depending on the
design brief.

In daily life we are permanently surrounded by elements of

signage – we refer to road signs, house numbers, place names
or room descriptions for orientation or unconsciously allow
ourselves to be guided by them. If it's not necessary to search
for orientation elements or consciously focus on them, where
we perceive elegant forms, high-quality materials or clear
typography more or less incidentally, this has a large influ-
ence on whether we respond positively to a location or note.
The big design idea needs to take this into consideration and
find a convincing solution to this challenge.
Signage conveys to us decisive messages about places and
organisations: Is the city inviting? Is a building modern? Does In the Empire Riverside Hotel in Hamburg, signage elements are
the user appear innovative? Are the employees working in a implemented in different surface materials – wood on wood, bronze
on bronze. A differentiated perception is achieved through colour
creative atmosphere? The design of signage further develops nuances and shadows. Architecture: David Chipperfield Architects,
the design concept embodied in the architecture and the signage: polyform – planen und gestalten

Recessed and projecting textures on the walls of the Ackermannshof
in Basel make reference to its former use as a case room and printing
shop. Building descriptions are “stamped”, tenants’ names are raised
and can be exchanged like type. Architecture: Lost-Architekten, signage:
Notice Kommunikation & Design
interior design and at the same time sets new individual
accents. The relationship between these disciplines deter-
mines the way the built environment is perceived. Ideally,
the  different disciplines develop a common attitude and
language which can also be applied and adapted in the
details in a versatile way. The client’s philosophy is incorpo-
rated in the overall design concept through the inclusion of
the material, texture, colour and form that make up their
brand identity. Appealing and clearly structured orientation
systems have a positive effect on this appearance and are
closely associated with the public positioning of a city, a com-
pany or an institution.
Various techniques used in analogue and digital applications
are available for the design of the signage. The way informa-
tion is codified and standardised is fundamental to our ability
to take in and communicate information rapidly. These as-
pects form the basis for the conception and realisation of suc-
cessful signage systems (see Analysis and systematic specifi-
cation of information requirements, p. 101).
Typography The communication of information
essentially takes place using letter-
ing and other symbols. For this reason, the choice of type-
faces is of particular importance in the field of signage, in
terms of both design and the way the information is taken in
by the user. The typefaces which are used should be easily
legible in different sizes and applications. However, the
typography must also fit in with the surroundings in which it is
used and with the architecture. As a rule, a distinction is made
in typography between different levels of use, analogous to
the hierarchy of the orientation system. Precedence is given
to the brand name of the user or of the building, which is
defined by the corporate identity of the company. The nam-
ing and signing of buildings, functional areas, groups of
rooms and individual rooms are specified in a graduated
design concept. The choice of typeface, sizes of lettering, the
colours of the background and characters as well as addi-
tional typographic elements is made with a given viewing dis-
tance in mind and should primarily fulfil the main requirement
of rapid and clear information and orientation. The greater
the viewing distance, the larger and more high-contrast the
typographic elements need to be. The definition of spatial
height relationships, typefaces and type sizes for information
elements which are then standardised and used for the entire
design improves the legibility of the information elements,
since the user is able to read and interpret repeatedly-used
graphic and typographic elements quickly.
Pictograms Pictograms are symbols which re-
duce messages in information and
orientation systems to small, clearly-readable icons. Their
visual language represents a further level of information.
Although derived from a graphic concept, the abstraction of
a function into a pictogram, for example, representing stairs,
a lift, a direction or toilet facilities, creates a design language
of its own. Pictograms are frequently used together with
typography, for individual design solutions in order to achieve
differentiation and individualisation. Apart from standard
themes, special pictogram families can be developed for se-
lected buildings which are based on the overall concept for
the design of the signage system for a building or event. Pic-
tograms are often an expression of the intellectual aspira-
tions of the client and designer. As symbols or icons, they can
develop their own charisma, since they provide orientation
independently of language and typeface and are universally
understandable. They tell their own visual stories, expressing
clarity, humour or formal experimentation and are reminis-
cent of the origins of written culture, which is largely based on
3
Orientation design
PL ANNING SIGNAGE

112
113

abstract graphic symbols. Some symbols are also internation-

ally standardised; for example, emergency exits are marked
by green illuminated signs with a white arrow pointing in
the direction of the exit, whereas fire protection equipment
such as fire extinguishers and hydrants are identified with
red signs.
Arrows are one of the symbols used most frequently in sig-
nage. However, they only acquire meaning in combination
with a destination.
The identification of spaces through abstract and graphic
representations such as animals or plants for example ena-
bles a graphic coding of the destination which goes beyond
pictograms and uses easily remembered images. These are
often used in institutions for children or for elderly people.

Colour Colours are an important design ele-

ment in spaces. They function on the
same perceptual level as the graphic components of signage
and influence the effect of spaces and the way they are appro-
priated by users. Information and orientation systems also
use coloured elements and surfaces to identify groups of
rooms or to indicate directions. For example, the allocation
of  particular colours to certain sections of buildings helps
structure overall relationships. For this reason, it is necessary
that a colour concept should be coordinated between the
interior design and the information and orientation systems.
The visual coding of functions through colour, material and
texture facilitates rapid and clear orientation. Increasing the The lettering concept used for the Dreispitzhalle in Basel,
brightness and colour contrasts improves the legibility of the a converted logistics warehouse, translates the type and
information. character of the building as well as its present use into typog-
raphy. The lettering extends over a length of 60 metres and
Colours can only be perceived clearly and quickly within a allows the original patina of the warehouse to shine through.
range of five to seven shades. Only graduations of basic col- Concept: Hauser, Schwarz
 ours should be chosen for colour allocations exceeding this
number, though this contributes little to better legibility. In
some cases it is possible – or even necessary – to replace
written information with colour allocations and pictograms
in  order to communicate information in a barrier-free way
in  accordance with the principles of universal design (see
p. 84 – 87).
Material By using materials, forms or process-
and texture ing techniques which are derived
from the architecture, the interior
design or from a brand, the signage can become part of
a  wider spatial experience (see Empire Riverside Hotel,
p. 110 / 111). In this way a continuous image is created which
brings together architecture, design and signage and makes
the signage a key element within the interior design. New
design accents can also be created in this way which go
beyond communicating purely use-specific messages and
emotional appeal. For example, texts and symbols can be
integrated in a terrazzo floor so that the floor becomes an
information carrier; room descriptions can fold out of the wall
in three dimensions. Such techniques require close coordina-
tion between architecture, interior design and signage at an
early stage. Other interactions between the specialist fields
are also possible at a later stage, for example, incorporating
the material of an architectural detail or fixture in the carrier
material of the signage.
Three-dimen- The three-dimensional execution of
sionality information and orientation elements
is increasingly being used in order
to enhance the perceived value and quality of the signage
(see for example adidas Laces, p. 62 – 65; Holon Design
Museum, p. 82 / 83). The transition from two-dimensional to
three-dimensional form plays with our accustomed sense of
perception and opens up new perspectives in terms of the
appropriation of a space. In these projects, the signage ele-
ments achieve a design quality which goes beyond the actual
communication of information and lends them the status of
art and uniqueness. The interplay of signage with architec-
ture and design strengthens the overall concept.
Key Visuals Key visuals are graphic or animated
elements which use key images to
communicate important product qualities. They are used
in  order to support the basic communication concept in a
graphic way and to supplement main messages with associa-
tive images. In buildings, there is a smooth transition between
the surfaces developed as part of the interior design and the
information and orientation system. For example, in order to
illustrate the “digital” aspect of the work of a research insti-
tute, its signage could use graphically abstracted pixel clouds
and incorporate the walls, floor and ceiling in the design. In
this case the key visual is key to the design of the space closely
connecting signage and interior.

The symbols of the “Vienna Method of Pictorial Statis-
tics” designed in the 1920s were the first symbol system
of this kind. An international pictorial language, known
from 1934 onwards as Isotype (International System of
Typographic Picture Education) was developed from this.
Design: Otto Neurath
The pictogram system originally developed for the 1972
Olympic Games in Munich is still in worldwide use today.
The wide selection of pictograms is continuously being
developed and expanded. Design: Otl Aicher
The pictogram system developed for the Euro-
pean Investment Bank in Luxembourg projects
a conceptual pattern of dots onto the building,
using the symbolic language to make the pat-
tern visible in graphic form. Signage: unit-design,
in collaboration with ingenhoven architects
3
Orientation design
PL ANNING SIGNAGE

The guidance and orientation system

for the Stuttgart Trade Fair uses vivid
colours which accompany visitors on
brightly coloured bands and wall surfaces.
The colour combination shortens the per-
ceived length of the routes and makes it
easier to take in information. The coding
of the destinations is achieved through
the use of different colours.
114 Architecture: wulf & partner, signage:
115 büro uebele visuelle kommunikation

Semantics and Semantics, language and the under-
language standing of language have an impor-
tant influence on the communication
of information and thus on the design of information and
orientation systems. As in the visual language or in the devel-
opment of pictograms, there are fundamentally different
approaches to using language.
In choosing words, a distinction must be made between gen-
erally understandable terms and specialist terminology. Does
this corridor lead to the “Children’s Clinic” or to “Paediatrics”?
The number of terms used should also be limited and easily
manageable.
Important destinations are often referred to by their own
names, for example Auditorium, Accident and Emergency
or Exit, and distinguished graphically from standard destina-
tions. Stairs can accordingly be indicated by the pictogram
for stairs or using the word “stairs”.
The use of language, typography and symbols follows es-
tablished, acquired habits. However, language is always a
living thing, absorbing new terms and abandoning those
which are no longer used. This is reflected in signage through
the adoption of internationally used terms such as lounge,
lobby or lift.
Multilingual users require multilingual information systems.
Internationally, it is widespread practice to use the national
language together with English as an international language,
with the information in most cases being provided first in the
national language and then in the second language. This pro-
duces a dual graphic system in which the national language
dominates as a rule, with the second language playing a sec-
ondary role in the graphic implementation. If more than two
languages are used, this makes the graphic design signifi-
cantly more difficult, since it makes it harder to associate the
words with the relevant languages and thus impairs under-
standing. This can be seen in countries with two or more main
languages, like Belgium or Switzerland for example, as well as
in border regions. However, innovative and interesting solu-
tions are often created for such cases.
Light Information and orientation elements
such as typography and pictograms
can be backlit in order to improve their visibility and legibility.
LEDs, for example, are a suitable light source for this purpose
because they combine a long service life with low power con-
sumption and low emission of heat into the building. The in-
tensity and colour of the light is adjusted to the strength of the
existing natural and artificial lighting in order to communicate
the information optimally with minimum energy consumption.
Light is also used to project text, pictograms and key visuals
onto defined surfaces (see Brühltor-Passage, p. 150 / 151).
However, this is only practical in spaces which do not them-
selves have a high level of background brightness and, up to
a height of 2 m, only works in less frequented areas, since
otherwise the projections can be blocked by crowds.
Digital visual All information and orientation ele-
language ments can also be displayed on digi-
tal screens (see Digital Communica-
tion of Information, p. 136–143). In this case the typography
and visual language as well as the communicator behaviour
are further developed and adapted for digital presentation.
Digital screens are becoming widely used for rapidly chang-
ing information in particular, and this technology is already
in use at airports and railway stations, in conference centres
and administrative buildings. In addition, with touchscreens
mounted in permanently installed free-standing information
panels, digital information systems offer the possibility of
communicating complex subjects simply and intuitively by
means of a widely used standard.
A wide range of analogue and digital technologies is already
available for these applications and will increase further in
the  future. These have a significant influence on the visual
design of content and set new standards in signage. However,
analogue orientation systems will continue to be used for
locations which remain largely unchanging, since the use of
digital technologies is limited by high investment and mainte-
nance costs.
Signage and In commercial buildings and in pub-
advertising lic spaces, the visual appearance of
media the architecture is frequently domi-
nated by advertising displays. The
relationship between advertising displays and signage must
be established at an early stage in order to accommodate
both systems. Ideally the two concepts are developed jointly,
so that their design, approval and realisation take place in an
integrated process and are taken into consideration at an
early stage. Architecture which makes no provision for sig-
nage and advertising fixtures risks being disfigured by what
is added later and creates conflicts between creatives, clients,
the authorities and the firms carrying out the work.

Left: The backlighting of infor- Above: In the Ciudad de las Artes

mation elements increases the
legibility of typography and
pictograms and makes it easy
to recognise the rhythm of the
elements in space.
Above: Schipohl Airport Amster-
dam. Signage: Paul Mijksenaar
Below: Zurich Airport.
Architecture: Nicholas Grimshaw &
Partners, signage concept: Burri
public elements, graphic design:
designalltag
y las Ciencias in Valencia the
communication of information
in several languages takes place
through graduations of the style
of a typeface. Signage: Bosco
Below: The lettering in the “Kleines
Haus” studio theatre of the Staats-
schauspiel Dresden references stage
directions. Arrows are replaced with
verbal directions. Signage: Gourdin &
Müller
3 OR
ORDNUNGSAMT STADT FRANKFURT
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, D
Signage: unit-design, Frankfurt am Main
Architecture: Meixner Schlüter Wendt Architekten, Frankfurt am Main

STADT FRANK
D E C B A
not
public

Head of 5th
department; floor
Administration;
Legal unit

Municipal 4th
police; floor
Veterinary
116 section
117
Municipal 3rd
police floor

Regulatory 2nd
affairs; floor
Regulatory
offences

Foreign 1st
nationals section; floor
Entrance:
Official veterinary
service
Service centre Ground
floor
Entrance:
Foreign nationals section
Main entrance
to Public Order Office
DNUNGSAMT
FURT
Clear navigation In a building for the Municipal Public
The red information elements accentuate the
contrast of black and white.

Black-white contrast Order Department of Frankfurt, a univer-

Red as a signal colour sal orientation system was conceived for
the public authority which guides visitors
from the entrance areas to the different services provided on the upper
floors. Understandability, legibility, openness and transparency are of par-
ticular importance here. In dialogue with the employees and the adminis-
tration, a signage system was created which is aimed above all at providing
clarity and orientation in order to ensure that a diverse public could relia-
bly navigate its way around the building. For this purpose, a system of clear,
simple-to-read overview plans and pictograms was developed and used
throughout the entire building. The basic colours of the concept, black,
red and white, are used both in the interior design and in the communica-
tion design. The flowing forms and material aesthetic of the interiors form
the basis for the integration of all signage elements – architecture, interior
design and signage merge to form an overall image.
This orientation concept has already been applied to the premises of the
department of health and the municipal engineering services and will also
be used in other municipal departments in Frankfurt, allowing consistent
communication with the puiblic, in the medium term, and giving the munic-
ipal departments a new, independent identity.

Architecture, design and communication follow

a holistic design approach.
3
NAGASAKI PREFECTURAL ART MUSEUM
NAGASAKI, J
Signage: Hara Design Institute, Tokyo
Architecture: Kengo Kuma Associates, Tokyo

PREFECTURAL
118
119

Oversized guidance information signs are

positioned on both sides of the facade as
separate objects.
 NAGASAKI
ART MUSEUM
Sculptural signage The architecture of the Nagasaki Prefec-
Guiding elements tural Art Museum is dominated by the
combined into units stone louvres positioned in front of the
facades, which echo the theme of the tra-
ditional Southern Japanese veranda architecture and its wooden louvres.
The entrance signage adapts this louvered facade and uses it as a design
element. Two rows of louvres project vertically from the ground in front of
the entrance area like the teeth of a comb. The two different structures
overlap, creating a dynamic, wavelike movement as the viewer passes by, a
kind of three-dimensional moiré effect. Through the interaction of the
structures, from certain angles a new pattern emerges, not originally found
in either of the two patterns: the logo of the museum with and the lettering
of its name in Japanese and English. In the interior of the museum, picto-
grams, direction arrows and lettering are combined into units. They give
directions in the form of three-dimensional objects made of high-quality
materials, almost wholly detached from the architecture, becoming inde-
pendent sculptures suspended in space. Echoing these sculptural ele-
ments, oversized guidance information signs are positioned on both sides
of the facade as separate objects. The direction arrows hang freely in
space while forming structural units with the facade.

The interaction of the structures creates a kind of

three-dimensional moiré effect.
3 ETH
ETH SPORT CENTER SCIENCE CITY
ZURICH, CH
Signage: TGG Hafen Senn Stieger, St. Gallen
Architecture: Dietrich | Untertrifaller | Stäheli Architekten, Bregenz

SCIENCE CITY Movement as The Sport Center Science City on the

design theme ETH’s Hönggerberg campus is a spacious
Coupling of guiding sports facility with a sustainable energy
lines with destination concept. Although large parts of the
information complex are built on a hillside, a bright
atmosphere prevails due to the partly
translucent, partly transparent facades on the south and west sides. A
spacious foyer forms the central circulation level, allowing access to the
different sports areas.
120 The basic tonality of the interior design concept is white. The extremely
121 minimal colour scheme of the fixtures and fittings makes the red signage
clearly stand out. This is a key component of the spatial effect; the red
forms a complementary contrast to the green of architectural elements
such as window frames and glass balustrades.
The direction system uses visual elements taken from the world of sports,
reminiscent of the court markings in indoor sports facilities. The lines rep-
resent in abstract form sequences of movement within the buildings and,
starting out from the names of the relevant destinations, run, quite literally,
like a red thread through the facility. The signage, which runs both over the
walls and on the floor, is applied using the same technique as used for
sports field markings.

The information in the signage extends far into the space,

the key graphic element is the guiding red lines which are
reminiscent of sports field markings.
SPORT CENTER
4 REALISING
SIGNAGE

124 Analogue communication

of information
Beate Kling

130 MORISAWA HEAD OFFICE, Osaka, J

132 LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR BALTIC SEA RESEARCH, Warnemünde, D
134 PFALZBAU THEATRE, Ludwigshafen, D

136 Digital communication

of information
Michael Schwanke-Seer

144 CIUDAD DE LAS ARTES Y LAS CIENCIAS, Valencia, E

146 VIENNA AIRPORT CHECK-IN 3, Vienna, A
150 BRÜHLTOR-PASSAGE, St. Gallen, CH

152 Epilogue – The iconography

of the third millennium
Torsten Krüger
4 RE ALISING SIGNAGE

Beate Kling

Analogue communica-
124
125 tion of information

In the past, analogue elements were the most commonly

used form of information carrier. Today however, numerous
possibilities are also being developed for integrating digital
information carriers including new media; the associated
price harmonisation also makes these media widely accessi-
ble. Despite the increasingly widespread use of digital solu-
tions, analogue information carriers designed for the simple
and economical communication of information will remain
a  fixed component of signage systems, where, for example,
individual solutions, small projects, fire protection require-
ments or customers’ wishes make a digital solution unsuita-
ble, uneconomical, impractical or indeed undesirable.

Additive Ideally, information carriers are inte-

information grated into the architecture of a build-
carriers ing. However, for various reasons this
is not always possible, as in the case
of retrofitting, renovations, budget constraints or temporary
signage systems. In these cases, signs and lettering are usually
subsequently applied to the architecture. Ideally, this involves
systems which have been specially developed for the project
in question and which apply the principles of integrated sig-
nage to additive elements. Through the way they are finished,
as well as through the choice of materials and colouring, the
signs can make a statement regarding the value of the infor-
mation they carry. In this way, families of signs are developed
which make it possible to use the corresponding sign for each
situation and requirement and thus allow meaningful sequenc-
es of information to be created. The sign elements and combi-
nations should refer to the properties of the architecture in
that they reflect these or deliberately contrast with these. In
this way, even an orientation system which has been added
subsequently can have an integrated effect, both functionally
and visually (see University Hospital Greifswald, p. 102 – 105).
 Integrated Integrated information carriers are
information characterised by being attached to
carriers or integrated structurally and senso-
rily with the surroundings. The deci-
sive factor is the conceptual approach and not, for example,
whether there is an actual physical connection between the
elements and the architecture. This approach requires inte-
grative planning at an early stage.
In order to integrate information, the characteristics of the
architecture are transferred to the information carriers or
interpreted, translated or extrapolated accordingly for the
media which are to be used to communicate the information.
Different materials, surfaces, textures and colours with their
differing effects are used for this purpose (see Orientation
design, p. 110–115). The desired properties of the orientation
system can be achieved through the materials and physical
elements used as well as their connection with a room or
building; the information enters into a symbiosis with the
building carrying it.

Two-dimensional applications Walls, ceiling and

floors makes suitable information carriers for two-dimen-
sional applications, for example for typefaces or pictograms.
Liquid materials such as paints or pastes are applied with the
aid of coating methods – also using fresco and spatula tech-
niques – or materials such as high-performance films, papers,
sheet metal or composite materials are applied directly to the
structure or to claddings such as panels. These forms of appli-
cation are frequently used, for example, in museums and in
exhibition design. In addition to offering flexibility as well as
simple and quick renewability at low cost, they have the
advantage that they allow information to be readily inte-
grated in the spatial context and in secondary designs (see
Deutsches Hygienemuseum, p. 124; Fachhochschule Osna-
brück, p. 125).
Top: The guidance system Other possible means of applying information, to glass for
for the Landesbibliothek
example, are screen-printing, etching and enamelling. Inlays
Oberösterreich in Linz
refers thematically to can be used to incorporate information in the building, for
the 1930s typography example metals inlaid in in-situ terrazzo (see Hypovereins-
already used in the build-
bank, p. 127) or hard aggregate screeds, veneers inlaid in
ing and develops it fur-
ther in the form of three- wooden surfaces, plastic in epoxy resin flooring, neoprene in
dimensional objects. woods, reflective glass microspheres in concrete (see Bling-
Signage: bauer – concept &
Crete, p. 127).
design
The integrated information can display a spatial dimension, in
that the information flow follows the architecture and corre-
sponds with it – lines, arrows and lettering run around corners,
inlays are located in structural joints, information flows down
the stairs or winds up pillars. Walls, ceiling, floors as well as
individual building components such as pillars, balustrades,
stairs or counters can themselves serve as information carri-
ers, if for example they are fully defined as signal-generating
surfaces and provided with contrasting colours, rasterised or
structured.
Opposite page: In the
German Hygiene Museum
in Dresden, information Three-dimensional objects Information and infor-
is applied directly to the
mation carriers can merge to form an object which then pre-
walls, so the structure of
the building serves as a sents itself three-dimensionally with a twofold function – on
directional information the one hand the information carrier itself becomes infor-
carrier. Signage: Gourdin
& Müller
mation, and on the other hand it is an integrated part of
the  overall context. In this case information forms physical
Left: The “congestion” bodies, combines with and grows out of the space as a
of information on the
ceiling of the Osnabrück
material embodiment, interprets formal approaches, extends
University of Applied the  design concept (for example direction arrows in the
Sciences is part of the Bernaqua spa complex, p. 106/107, and in the Holon Design
concept. The location was
chosen because of the Museum, p. 82/83, floor numbers in the Landesbibliothek
young target group and Oberösterreich, p. 125). These can take the form of symbols,
busy circulation routes letters, numbers, logos, three-dimensional pictograms or
during break times.
Signage: büro uebele icons which appear like sculptures. Information can also be
visual communication realised on a larger scale and form 3D objects which primarily
4
Analogue communica-
tion of information

In the Eureka underground car park in Melbourne, Australia,

RE ALISING SIGNAGE

distorted-perspective typography is spatially arranged

in such a way that it is legible from the angle of view of the
recipient of the information. Signage: Axel Peemoeller

126
127
Information can be formed directly from the architecture
or can be integrated into it. The perforated facade clad-
ding of the Family Box family activity centre uses pixelated
children’s drawings to signal the function of the building.
The pattern of the facade is transferred to the interior
through the incident sunlight and the projection of shadows.
Architecture: crossboundaries architects, signage: Didelidi studio

fulfil a different function, for example a reception desk in the

form of lettering, walls made of characters, room-dividing
elements made of symbols etc. (see adidas Laces, p. 62 – 65) or
which also inhabit a spatial dimension (see Nagasaki Prefec-
tural Art Museum, p. 118/119). When the information becomes
a 3D object which corresponds with the architecture rather
than simply being incorporated, and also forms the starting
point for the creative concept, signage can not only be inte-
grated in the space but actually merge with it (see Surry Hills
Library & Community Center, p. 16 / 17).

Combinations When architecture, formal language and

information merge together and two-dimensional elements
are linked with three-dimensional elements, this can intensify
the effects of signage. In its implementation, information can,
for example, begin as a 2D statement as an applied element
and then be continued three-dimensionally in space, indicat-
ing the way, finally terminating as a 3D object representing
the destination or a destination confirmation (see Morisawa
Head Office, p. 130 /131; Tokyo Polytechnic University, p. 127).
Departing from the level of information design by means of
additional, applied elements, information can also be formed
directly from or be integrated into the architecture, for exam-
ple in the form of perforated facade claddings. Components
such as daylight, night lighting or perspective effects can be
deliberately used in order to generate the desired informa-
tion and make it visible by means of incident lighting, gradu-
ated shading, hard cast shadows or distortion effects (see
Eureka underground car park, p. 126). These elements can
also change depending on the time of day.
If material and message are understood as a single entity, this
allows architecture and information to be integrated in a wide
variety of ways. In every case the implementation requires
that the building design and information design be coordi-
 nated at an early stage (see Analysis and systematic specifica-
tion of information requirements, p. 96 – 101).

Information Since the hardware of digital infor-

technologies mation technologies –monitors, LED
walls, beamers etc. – usually involves
products with their own design, in the past they have been
integrated in conventional information carriers or building
structures, housings and fixtures by means of supporting
structures. To what extent formable hardware will be availa-
ble in future for the representation of digital content will
depend on technological developments.

Temporary Additional possibilities are available

guidance if guidance systems only need to last
systems for a certain period or need to be
flexibly changeable, as for confer-
ences, festivals or art projects: for example, fabrics, banners,
sleeves, wooden pallets or other objects and materials which
can be used creatively for a limited period of use. They can be
temporarily glued, stapled, fastened or clamped in place or
even held in the hand (see SimTech Research Centre, Univer-
sity Stuttgart, p. 128; orientation systems for “Un Festival à
Villeréal”, p. 128).

Ready-made If costs, deadlines or other reasons

information prevent the use of signage specially
carriers designed for the project, use can be
made of ready-made information car-
riers which are available on the market as standard products.
Some of these are quite sophisticated and include product
families which can be coordinated with the architecture. When
choosing signage it should be ensured that these information
carriers fit in well with the project, both in terms of design and
functionally.
In the Tokyo Polytechnic University, three-dimensional
pictograms continue into the two-dimensional destination
confirmation on the door. Signage: Hiromura Design

Left: In the newly developed smart surface BlingCrete, glass

microspheres embedded in concrete reflect the ambient light,
both by day and by night. Development: Heike Klussmann,
Thorsten Klooster

Right: In the Hypovereinsbank management headquarters

building in Munich, stainless-steel guidance information
is inlaid in in-situ terrazzo. This system is only suitable for
information which does not need to be changed. Signage: büro
uebele visuelle kommunikation
4
Analogue communica-
RE ALISING SIGNAGE tion of information

128
129

right: Variable elements can be used in the guidance

system designed for the SimTech research centre at
the University of Stuttgart , which can be used for both
permanent and temporary information. The fixings are
simply commercially available clip fittings into which
the panels with the lettering are attached. Signage: L2M3
Kommunikationsdesign

below left and middle: Materials such as Europallets,

barrier tape and polystyrene remnants or cord are used
as information carriers in the temporary orientation
systems for “Un Festival à Villeréal” (left: 2010, middle:
2011). Signage: Wanja Ledowski – Studio

below right: During the updating of the graphic appear-

ance of the Museum for Applied Art in Frankfurt am
Main, a temporary guidance system was applied with
adhesive tape and felt tip pen which was intended to
make the changes taking place in the museum visible.
Signage: Vier5
 Supplementary Supplementary sources of informa-
sources of tion can either be planned as part of
information the overall concept or used to sup-
port guiding systems. Their function
is to expand the signage if for various reasons the route lay-
outs cannot be recognised or assumed, for example because
physical disabilities restrict the user’s ability. To accommo-
date these cases it is possible to supplement the main infor-
mation content with additional elements or, for example, to
provide assistance personnel, particularly in the context of
medical institutions or in locations with a high density of peo-
ple such as major sporting events. Another aspect involves
expanding the sources of information through the use of vari-
ous communicative media in order to assist orientation.
Acoustic support Acoustic signals and announcements
can support certain aspects of orientation, and not just for
the visually impaired. They address a different sense than the
visual perception at which signage is most often aimed. They
are used in lifts in the form of announcements with destina-
tion information as well as in information carriers, for example
fixtures and furnishings which deliver an additional acoustic
message which is triggered through sensors when people
approach, and which in most cases supply supplementary
information.
Printed products Printed information should be cre-
ated in the context of corporate identity and signage and
should incorporate the CI of a structure or of a company or
the layout specifications derived from the orientation system.
As brochures, handouts and flyers giving information in the
form of layout plans showing locations and listing destination
points, they assist users in finding their destinations. The
structure of an orientation system and the content of the
printed products must be consistent in terms of both content
and structure in order to function. The information provided
by the orientation system is reproduced in condensed form in
print media or supplemented through detailed information.
In combination with digital terminal devices, it can also be
produced by the users themselves in the form of print-outs,
such as layout overviews of shopping centres or orientation
plans in complex structures such as hospitals, shopping cen-
tres or trade fairs.
Digital information terminals with print
function which can be used from a sitting Assistance personnel Information overview
or standing position Holder for printed media Acoustic support
Verbal information and assistance personnel
As the first place to go for verbal information, reception and
information desks are simple, functional elements of direct
communication. The use of assistance personnel is one pos-
sible way of guiding people who are disabled or otherwise
overchallenged by the usual sources of information in com-
plex structures. These may be people who have difficulties
with orientation in medical institutions or who don’t want to
have to find their own way around in large hotel complexes.
At the 2012 Olympic Games in London for example, guides
were used in the area around the Olympic Park to provide
personal information and give visual directions (see p. 54).
Some German hospitals, for example, offer a service which is
based on active citizenship: the “green ladies and gentlemen”
who are firmly integrated into the routine of the hospital and
accompany people to their destination. The boundaries
between the accompanying function and other duties which
go beyond the scope of signage, such as transporting luggage
or providing psychological support, are often fluid.
In future, projected hologram avatars could also take on
tasks  performed by assistance personnel; relevant pilot
projects have already been started at European and Ameri-
can airports.
Digital media Information is increasingly being pro-
cessed, displayed or updated in digital form. A wide range
of  digital means of communication is now available for this
purpose, which not only support orientation but present
expanded sources of information. A distinction should be
made between sources of information which are placed or
output locally and such media as can be loaded onto mobile
terminal devices and used regardless of location. Local
sources of information can, for example, be communicated,
both acoustically as well as visually and interactively, with the
aid of audio guides, monitors and touchscreens integrated in
information points, free-standing panels or consoles. Mobile
smart devices allow information to be accessed from any-
where over the internet,via apps and individual applications.
They can, for example, reproduce orientation systems, act as
museum guides or offer more extensive applications in the
form of learning programs and games. The use of digital
media with interactive communication is playing an increas-
ingly important role within the spectrum of available signage
media (see Digital communication of information, p. 136 – 143).
The distinction between a user recognising guidance infor-
mation on their own initiative and their making use of outside
help with the aid of supplementary media can be fluid. It is
possible to combine analogue, digital and supplementary
media for this purpose.
Supplementary media
support and expand
orientation systems by
compensating for deficits
which restrict action or
Word marks and figurative marks by offering information
Layout via additional media.
4
MORISAWA HEAD OFFICE
OSAKA, J
Signage: Hiromura Design Office, Tokyo

HEAD OFFICE Transition from Morisawa is the most influential Japanese

2D to 3D font foundry, founded in 1948 as a firm
Numbers as specialising in phototype setting tech-
sculptural objects nology. Since the 1980s the company has
concentrated primarily on the develop-
ment of digital Japanese fonts. Its new headquarters building was deliber-
ately developed as corporate architecture and integrates the company's
own “Kohcho” font in the overall concept for the signage.
The numbers for the floors are used in both two-dimensional and three-
130 dimensional form for the orientation system and serve as starting or end
131 points for the guiding graphic elements. In a sense the figures on the floor
represent the “shadows” of the three-dimensional forms growing out of the
walls; on the stair landings these are also projected onto the ceiling. Thus,
the concept uses all spatial dimensions for the optimal transmission of
information. The chosen font features stronger and weaker lines, the
dynamic pattern of which create its own visual accents. The three-dimen-
sional execution transforms the numbers into sculptural objects. They are
deliberately intended to encourage employees and visitors to reflect on
the importance of symbols in society and are emblematic of the company.
MORISAWA

The three-dimensional numbers for the different floors

in the headquarters building are reminiscent of the lead
type used in traditional printing presses.

90
300

A A
2000
4 LEIBNIZ
LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE
FOR BALTIC SEA RESEARCH
WARNEMÜNDE, D
Signage and architecture:
KSV Krüger Schuberth Vandreike, Berlin

BALTIC SEA Elements running The new building, situated in a promi-

around corners nent location between the spa gardens
as design idea and the seafront promenade, provided
Colour coding of an opportunity for the Leibniz Institute
buildings for Baltic Sea Research in Warnemünde
(IOW) to update its corporate identity
and, building on this, to also update the design of the institute’s informa-
tion and orientation system. The orientation design which was developed
colour-codes the new atrium structure as well as the two existing buildings
132 – in the new building a bright green is used as a signal colour running
133 through all the areas as well as the information system, with the main build-
ing being assigned a shade of yellow and the original villa a shade of blue.
Anthracite-coloured waxed steel plates are used throughout for the key
elements of the signage in all the buildings. They signal to the users in the
heterogeneous complex of buildings that all the information necessary for
orientation can be found here. The steel panels join up in the stairwell to
form a communication strip providing information about the institute and
its activities, introducing the staff as well as identifying areas of the build-
ings and rooms. The edges of the panels create surfaces where flyers and
brochures can be placed.
Unchanging information such as room descriptions are laser-cut into the
steel plates. These fold around the corners of the rooms, emphasising the
three-dimensional effect of the concept. Printed and magnetic foils make it
possible to quickly update typography and graphics which, for example,
show the institute’s current research results. In addition, screens are inte-
grated in the metal panels, providing information on scientific topics,
events or expeditions by the research ships.

0
INSTITUTE FOR
RESEARCH

The theme of elements running around

corners chosen for the architectural
design is adopted and developed further
in the signage.
4
PFALZBAU THEATRE
LUDWIGSHAFEN, D
Signage: Daniela Valentini, Zurich
Architecture: wiesemann architekten, Cologne

THEATRE Typeface as a The general renovation of the Pfalzbau

central theme complex with its theatre, concert and
Different character conference facilities which was carried
sizes for primary out between 2006 and 2009 provided an
and secondary infor- opportunity to modernise the spatial lay-
mation out as well as the aesthetic appearance
of the triple-function complex, which
was originally opened in 1968. The architectural design aimed at creating
clarity and an easily accessible spatial order. The guidance system devel-
134 oped for this purpose helps visitors orient themselves and lends the archi-
135 tecture a graphic dimension through a striking use of lettering.
Letters in two different sizes combine with the space and point in the
described direction, supported by arrows. Starting out from their group-
ing on an orientation wall in the foyer, the primary lettering is distributed
around the building in such a way that it makes a visual connection with
the next location. The words, applied with the aid of stencils, are aligned
flush with the base of the walls, overwriting building components such as
ventilation louvres, as well as being applied to the undersides of stairs.
Positioned at eye level, the smaller lettering communicating secondary
information forms an informative horizon within the space and is only legi-
ble at close range. The typeface varies depending on the venue – theatre,
concert hall or conference centre. The colouring of the lettering relates to
the surrounding building components and in some cases echoes them.

The lettering is oriented on the space and indicates the

direction in the line of sight, with or without arrows.
PFALZBAU
On the undersides of the stairs the lettering shows the way to the
various destinations within the building. The areas of use are each
assigned different typefaces.
4 RE ALISING SIGNAGE
Michael Schwanke-Seer
Digital communication
136
137 of information
Digital signage refers to forms of signage which communi-
cate information in digital form, especially via monitors.
These usually involve networked visual systems with content
which can either be program-controlled or compiled manu-
ally. This requires a combination of presentation technology
and software as well as various network components. The
market for digital signage experienced a significant boom in
German-speaking countries in 2010, with a growth of 21 % as
shown by a study conducted by corporate consultants Invidis
Consulting. According to this study, “Digital signage is a com-
plex communication product with both a technical side and a
creative side. Or put simply: technology meets communica-
tion.”1 The main applications for digital signage are in guest
information systems (GIS), employee information systems
and digital advertising. It makes use of modern communica-
tion instruments such as displays or screens, depending on
the complexity of the content which needs to be presented.
The available technologies and their state of development
are of particular importance since these represent the instru-
ments of modern signage.
Projection One of the most important, but above
surfaces all one of the most conspicuous
components of digital signage are
monitors, which are available in a wide variety of designs and
sizes. However, other types of projection surface also play an
important role in digital signage.
Monitors Today monitors are frequently used at events
in place of printed (and thus unchangeable) information and
route descriptions. In most cases these involve displays which
are clearly laid-out and which direct congress participants or
students to the relevant venue, with electronic signs at the
entrance doors describing the event taking place within.
Monitors offer numerous advantages in comparison with
fixed signage. They can be adapted to their surroundings,
their layout can be designed flexibly and they allow different
types of information and formats to be displayed. Integrated
into the wall, suspended or as free-standing display panels,
they represent a contemporary form of presentation for infor-
mation (see Museum of Arts and Design, p. 137; Ciudad de las
Artes y las Ciencias, p. 144/145).
Monitors are used in completely self-contained systems for
directional guidance, as information boards and for advertis-
ing. They can be used individually or combined in an array to
form a video wall. As a rule, narrow or slim bezel LCD moni-
tors are used for this purpose: these possess a particularly
narrow moulding frame in order to provide the most continu-
ous picture possible. Technically, the majority of monitors are
based on an LCD panel, although the trend is clearly in the
direction of LED monitors. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal
Display, LED stands for Light-Emitting Diode and is regarded
as a particularly energyefficient technology, which leads to
significantly lower energy costs, particularly where a large
number of displays are used.
LED walls Pure LED walls are very suitable in particular
for outdoor use, because they are distinguished by their great
brightness, which can prevail even in bright sunlight (see
Stücki shopping centre, p. 138). In most cases such walls are
found in stadia or are used as large information panels at train
stations and airports. In these cases the image is created
through the configuration of LEDs and not by one or more
displays.
Projecting Projecting components include tra-
components ditional projectors. Although these
offer the advantage of being able to
project an image of an adjustable size, they do suffer from a
number of disadvantages. On the one hand, the running
costs are relatively high, since bulbs need to be regularly
replaced; LED technology is currently mostly used for small
projectors. On the other hand, in addition to the need to
check dust filters regularly the devices require a continuous
air supply, which often makes them noisy in operation. Finally,
it is essential to keep wall spaces free for projection, and light
levels in the surrounding area must be kept low in order for
the projected image to appear bright.
Projectors with up to 15 000 ANSI lumens are used principally
in public areas like train stations, in halls with large areas of
wall and also for mass events such as open-air screenings.
The luminous flux states the light output in lumens, the ANSI
lumens unit additionally takes into consideration the differ-
ences in brightness in the picture. The more ANSI lumens a
projector has, the more brightly it illuminates. Projectors with
3000–5000 ANSI lumens, which as a rule offer good bright-
ness combined with good contrast, are frequently used in
conference rooms with typical levels of daylight and without
direct sunlight. Images of up to 4.5 m (diagonal) are usually
acheived. In dark spaces or spaces with low levels of daylight,
high contrast is important. As long as the room is dark, good
results can be achieved with light outputs of 1500 to 2500
ANSI lumens. However, in museums for example, a bright,
high-contrast picture is required despite the surrounding
area being illuminated. In this case, projectors with at least
10 000 ANSI lumens are used (devices with up to 30 000 ANSI
lumens are available), with image diagonals of 7 m and more.
Technologies such as LCD projectors and 1- or 3-chip DLP
projectors have proved suitable for this purpose. Digital Light
Processing (DLP) refers to a special projection technology
which, in contrast to conventional technologies, projects a
very sharp image onto a screen.
In terms of projection methods, a distinction is made between
rear and frontal projection. The advantages of rear projection,
in which the images are projected onto the projection surface
from behind, are obvious: the image cannot be interrupted
by people walking past the screen, and the source of the pic-
ture cannot be seen. This technique has proved particularly
advantageous in brighter room environments. The screen
needs to be translucent for this purpose. One particular
disadvantage is that sufficient space needs to be available
behind the projection surface. This in turn argues in favour of
frontal projection, which does not require any space behind
the screen; it is also possible to project directly onto a wall.
However, with this method the cone of light from the projec-
tion is visible, and people passing in front of the projection
path interfere with the picture. Also, with this type of projec-
tion the surrounding area needs to be dark, since with high
levels of stray light the contrast becomes poorer and the
image quality deteriorates.
Dynamic content is displayed on monitors in the Museum of Arts
and Design in New York. Media installation: Lisa Strausfeld,
Pentagram Design
4
Digital communication
RE ALISING SIGNAGE of information
The upper parts of the towers of the Stücki
shopping centre in Basel are equipped with
15-metre-high LED panels which broadcast
illuminated messages with changing content –
patterns, text and images – on two sides
138 of the facade. Architecture: Diener & Diener,
139 lighting and media design: iart
Digital A wide range of digital technologies
technologies is now available. Displays are availa-
ble in a variety of different forms,
with display diagonals ranging from 5 to 152 inches. Whether
as LCD, LED or plasma screen, virtually anything is feasible
nowadays. The displays differ primarily in the technology
used to produce the image. Whereas in plasma screens a gas
is used which turns to plasma and emits light when current
is  applied, in LCDs the illumination is provided by a fluores-
cent light source. This is replaced in LED models by LED back-
lighting.
LCD and LED displays are only available up to a maximum size
of 108 inches, with plasma screens being used for larger
areas. LCD and DLP projectors, LCD displays with cold-cath-
ode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlights and plasma models
are already today certified 24/7, i.e. they are designed to
operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. LCDs with LED
backlight have not so far received 24/7 certification due to
lack of test data. Their service life is currently on average
30,000 hours, that is to say in 24/7 use the display would have
reached the end of its service life after three and a half years.
As a rule, the displays are currently assumed to have a service
life of five years, which gives LED backlight displays a limited
period of use per day (12/7 or a maximum of 16/7).
Interactive Interactive displays (touchscreen dis-
technologies plays) are used to support existing
signage or information systems. A
distinction is made between single, dual and multi-touch
monitors, i.e. ones designed to be touched with one or two
fingers and ones in which up to 32 points can be operated on
the display at once. Such solutions are increasingly being
used in facilities such as museums (see Museum of Arts and
Design, p. 140), shopping centres, train stations, furniture
stores and department stores, where they represent a wel-
come added value for visitors and customers. Thus, in the
case of an information display the key question is above all
“Where do I find this?”, whereas a signage system tends to
provide the answer to “How do I get there?”. Special solutions
can, for example, be used to configure a product for naviga-
tion purposes or for the user-friendly electronic control of
complex systems as well as processes in kitchens, and are in
fact increasingly being used for these purposes. However,
not only large companies but also institutions such as schools
are increasingly making use of electronic aids.
Positioning Positioning technologies offer various
technologies possibilities with the aid of which
people or buildings can be located
(tracked) in space. These include, for example, satellite-sup-
ported positioning, video surveillance or the evaluation of
telephonic and digital transmissions.
Positioning technology in buildings In buildings,
positioning technologies are used for quite different applica-
tions. They can fulfil a variety of purposes, such as locating
calls for assistance from patients, old people or employees
in  hazardous areas or for indoor navigation as expanded
components of a route signage system (see Alexandrium
Woonmall, p. 142). Such applications are often referred to as
RTLS (Real Time Location Systems) or LBS (Location Based
Services). They are used successfully in sectors such as health-
care, industry and retail. In contrast, their use for directional
guidance has not yet progressed very far, for a number of rea-
sons. The main problem here is, in particular, the provision
and collection of corresponding (costly) terminal devices.
Above all, the return of smart devices only works well in places
with “bottleneck geometries”, which currently is almost exclu-
sively in museums. The further development and operation
of such systems could therefore, under certain circumstances,
also have effects on the architectural conception of such
buildings.
Since GPS does not function reliably inside buildings and is
not accurate enough to position according to floor or room,
location-based systems are used here (WLAN, RFID, DECT,
ultrasound, infrared, induction loops etc.). These technolo-
gies differ significantly in the way they function. Parameters
such as positioning accuracy, real-time behaviour, additional
communication possibilities, installation and cabling costs,
infrastructure costs, requirements with regard to the terminal
devices which are to be tracked etc. need to be taken into
consideration. Another important criterion is whether the
technology simply identifies a tracking object at specific loca-
tions or logs it when it passes through certain gates or doors,
or whether it actually allows full-coverage real-time tracking
which if necessary also covers large halls or outdoor areas.
In recent years, WLAN has increasingly become established
as a suitable standard for positioning in buildings. It is already
present today in many buildings or is being planned and
installed in new buildings in order to meet current communi-
cation requirements (intranet and internet access, IP teleph-
ony, multimedia etc.). Thus, where WLAN is installed, all the
other infrastructure costs and installation and cabling costs
referred to above are unnecessary, which makes it compara-
tively economical and simple to install a positioning system
simply as a software solution. However, additional WLAN
base stations (access points) need to be added depending on
the requirements in terms of positioning accuracy and the
configuration of the existing WLAN. In the case of other tech-
nologies, in addition to the actual infrastructure for position-
ing, WLAN or mobile radio communication is required in
addition in order to allow the necessary intranet or internet
applications to be used on a smartphone.
However, in order to achieve the necessary positioning accu-
racy (to the exact floor and to within 1 to 3 metres in the hori-
zontal plane) it is not sufficient to determine the base station
to which a WLAN terminal device (for example a smartphone)
is logged on. Nor can the necessary accuracy be achieved
through a triangulation of the field strengths measured
between the terminal device and several base stations, since
building structures and their properties are not taken into
account. This can only be achieved through a combination of
intelligent mathematical algorithms and a positioning model
which takes into account the building structures. With this so-
called RSSI fingerprinting method with WLAN site survey and
rail-tracking technology, during the course of a site survey the
actual field strengths (RSSI values) of all base stations are
measured by means of a tablet PC and automatically stored
as fingerprints of the radio field on the floor plans of the
building. In addition, permitted routes and transitions can be
defined on the floor plans by means of so-called rails. In a
similar way to in-car navigation, which is based on a roadmap,
this allows illogical positioning results to be filtered out, for
example where the indicated location would be floating in
The central hall of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in
Dallas, USA features a 20-metre-long curved and backlit screen wall
with letters formed of LEDs. Architecture: Foster + Partners, signage: 2×4
4
Digital communication
RE ALISING SIGNAGE of information
140
141
front of the third floor, in the middle of a wall or machine, or
would involve passing through walls and floors.
Such an appropriate WLAN and positioning model is then
available for the positioning of numerous WLAN clients
(smartphones, barcode scanners, RFID scanners, laptops,
tablet PCs and special WLAN tags) and thus of any persons or
devices. Naturally, the protection of privacy is very important.
It should not be possible to locate just any WLAN terminal
devices, only those which are specifically intended for this
purpose. For some applications, for example navigation
within buildings, it is sufficient if the location data are only
available on the terminal device. For others, it can also be
necessary to release these for central analysis or to specific
recipients (for example, an emergency alarm). In each case,
clear and transparent rules must apply to the access rights
and possible storage of data.
Navigation on mobile phones A number of com-
panies also produce navigation systems for mobile phone
browsers. The advantage of web-based applications is that it
is not necessary to install an app, and all smartphones are
supported with internet access.
In so-called kiosk systems – permanently-installed computer
systems in public spaces – following each animation a TinyURL
for entry in the mobile browser is displayed together with a
QR code. The user scans the QR code with the QR code
reader, opening the animation which has just been watched
on their smartphone. The QR codes can be displayed at
Interactive touchscreen in the Museum of Arts
and Design, New York. Design: Pentagram Design
entrances as well as heavily frequented locations in buildings
(see p. 141). Scanning the code opens the building-specific
mobile portal and the user only needs to select the desired
destination in order to open the 3D sequence on their mobile
device. Such navigation systems are used predominantly in
public buildings such as shopping centres, airports or railway
stations, but also in hospitals, hotels, universities, at trade
fairs, in theme parks and museums.
Available In order to transfer information to the
software corresponding display media, soft-
ware specially developed for this
purpose is required: a special digital signage program. Since
the late 1990s, rapid development has been taking place, so
that the individual programs are continually being further
optimised in order to adapt to the special requirements of the
market. One piece of software which has become established
for over a decade is editIT / playIT, which serves here as an
example of programs with a similar functional background. It
is used particularly often for room booking and directional
orientation as well as being used as an information and adver-
tising system.
The editIT editing system is used to manage content such as
player content lists and screen division; it creates and edits
playing schedules and makes the text-based scheduling of
dates possible via the calendar. The playIT player software
plays the content on the screens and door signs. The corre-
sponding data are stored on the central server system and
 GPS WLAN RFID RFID Ultra- Infrared are transported via the network on demand. In order to
(passive) (active) sound generate precisely timed playing schedules, the date, time,
Outdoor positioning • • • content and length of the content are exactly recorded. The
data can be transmitted either by LAN or WLAN. A log file is
Indoor positioning • • • • •
created in order to fulfil legal documentation requirements.
Flexible IP communication When it comes to display options, almost anything is possi-
options
•
ble: the software is suitable for playing a wide range of file
Full coverage positioning • • • (•)
formats, whether content intended for directional guidance,
Positioning even without images, presentations or even films.
direct line of sight
• • (•) • (•) (•)
Further important functions of the software include the
Infrastructure often administration of the display media, the control of the content
already present or planned • • as well as fully automated playback. In addition, data from
for other applications
external systems, such as RSS feeds or weather reports, can
Passage monitoring
at doors etc.
• • • • • be integrated into the program via the interfaces and links
can be created to other programs relevant to the company.
Also available for standard
smart phones etc.
• • The features of the Windows-based editIT software also
include email notification if the station fails, real-time moni-
Comparison of different positioning technologies toring of data transmission, categorisation of player content
according to key words as well as the possibility of trans-
mitting content selectively at a particular time of day or to
individual players. The user sends these via the network to
the server, which distributes them to the control units of
the player devices; the playIT player software is installed on
these, which makes it possible to pre-load the player contents
virtually.

A smartphone application provides information on less well-

known locations outside of the city centre of Amsterdam by
means of conspicuous symbols at the location in question and
linking via QR codes. Development and realisation: Amsterdam
Tourism and Congress Board (ATCB) with Edenspiekermann
4
Digital communication
RE ALISING SIGNAGE of information
142
143
Application Digital signage programs are used in
scenarios various fields for quite different appli-
cations. At trade fairs for example, the
screens serve the purpose of orientation, but in conference
applications they can also function as digital door signs. At
airports or railways stations, digital signs display train and
flight connections, in museums they inform visitors about
ticket prices and provide detailed background information
on exhibits. Digital signage systems are used as a directional
guidance and information platform in hospitals or banks, as a
digital blackboard in schools, or as a digital menu in canteens
and restaurants.
Hotels and conference centres In guest informa-
tion systems, digital signage software serves as a visitor ori-
entation system and provides information on the current
room occupancy. It provides both guests and employees with
an overview of the current events calendar and can be used
as an advertising platform for events and products. Used as
door signage, in addition to providing details of the event,
logos can be displayed on digital panels together with the
duration of the event. The panels can be integrated any-
where; they can be situated in the lobby as well as in the
conference area. They can also be used in lifts. The digital
monitors can readily be adapted to the interior and design of
the building.
Industry Digital signage also has industrial applications.
Here, the technology is not only used as a signage system for
visitors but also allows more effective internal communication.
For example, Lufthansa Cargo has been using digital sig-
nage for several years. More than 1300 employees of the Luf-
thansa Cargo Centre in Frankfurt are kept informed of what's
happening within their company on sixteen 40-inch digital
Using positioning technology, a 3D indoor navigation system with
routing function, level overviews and shop descriptions guides visitors
to the Alexandrium Woonmall in Rotterdam around over 70 shops and
service providers. Programming: 3d-berlin
screens. The monitors are intended mainly for employees in
production who have no access to a computer and thus no
access to the intranet. For example, changes in the produc-
tion processes, project information as well as information
about the industry, company and division are communicated
via the screens in the cargo hall, as is information on excep-
tional situations, for example under- and overcapacities or
bad weather. The weekly publication of numbers, data and
facts also contributes to employee motivation, since this
makes the results of the employees' own work more transpar-
ent. Customer information in the form of slideshows or events
and meetings taking place within the company are also com-
municated via the monitors.
Future devel- What does the digital future hold?
opments Current developments in the digital
market are advancing at a rapid pace,
which is astounding even experienced specialists in the field.
One very important aspect here is “green technology”.
Green IT In addition to an innovative approach, future
technologies also need to fulfil sustainability criteria. After all,
the environmental aspect and consequently the buzzword
“green IT” is playing an increasingly prominent role in today's
society. Industry experts believe that, in terms of technology,
a turning point has been reached with regard to high-con-
sumption technologies. For example, they expect to see
long-service-life, low-maintenance LED projectors coming
into use in the future. As regards displays, increasing use is
being made of OLEDs, not just because of their energy-sav-
ing potential but also because of the design potential they
offer. Even today there are displays which use LEDs for back-
ground illumination, achieving an energy saving of up to 30 %.
However, a distinction must be made here between dis-
 plays using D-LEDs (Direct LEDs), in which the light source is
located directly behind the actual display, and ones using
E-LEDs (Edge LEDs), i.e. in which the LEDs illuminate the dis-
play from the edge. Digital door signs with low energy con-
sumption, LED, LCD or OLED technology in large format dis-
plays and LED technology in projectors are other new techni-
cal developments which are increasingly coming into use.
The advantages here lie, on the one hand, in the low energy
consumption in running operation and, on the other hand,
significantly fewer hazardous substances are required for
their production.
OLED OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. This
technology possesses various advantages in comparison with
conventional LED display technology. Not only are OLEDs
thinner and brighter than LEDs, they also make possible
higher contrast and a thousand times faster response rate.
Industry insiders are convinced that this technology will sooner
or later squeeze all other forms of display out of the market.
OLED technology can also be applied in the form of thin foils
which can be used like wallpaper and thus offer versatile and
flexible display and projection solutions.
Left: according to designer Mac Funamizu, nobody will need to
ask the way in future. Viewed through the “Looking Glass”, reality
and the virtual world merge together; the view through the device
makes comments visible in the public space. Any particular loca-
tion or object can be matched with the information available on
the internet.
Right: New technologies for completely contact-free interaction
which are currently being developed make the three-dimensional
communication of information possible. Users can both see in 3D
and interact three-dimensionally, without having to wear addi-
tional aids such as glasses or data gloves. Gesture-controlled infor-
mation systems which react simply to pointing are possible, as is,
for example, the contact-free control of medical applications.
Development: Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut
Interactive technology In the field of interactive tech-
nology, a lot of effort is currently being invested in the devel-
opment of touch-free solutions. The most common disadvan-
tage of today's touchscreen displays is the way the surface
becomes dirty through continual use. Frequent use leaves
finger marks which are unpleasant not only for the operator,
but even more so for the user. The alternative would be a
functional principle controlled through movement, without
any contact. These movements are registered by a camera,
processed and converted into the desired functions, so that
the command can be executed as with a touchscreen display.
Another possibility involves the installation of movement sen-
sors in the surrounding floor and ceiling. These also detect
movements and transfer them to the display. In some cases
facial expressions and gestures can also be transmitted in this
way, allowing the user to control the technology with their
eyes, so to speak.
Interactions with screens facilitate the explanation of systems
or facilities, since the users can control the information them-
selves, automatically directing their attention to what inter-
ests them. In this way, things can be explained graphically,
with the content changing interactively. This allows a simple
representation of content which is easier to understand. For
example, companies which allow visitors access to their pro-
duction plants explain the functions of their machinery inter-
actively using touchscreen monitors. Visitors can select the
language in which the explanations are provided via head-
phones.
Overall, a clear trend towards interaction can be observed,
and consequently development is increasingly leading to-
wards interactive screens and their interactive control via an
increasingly diverse range of interfaces.
1 Invidis Consulting (Eds.): Dossier on the Digital Signage Market 2010.
Germany – Austria – Switzerland. Digital Signage Professionell 08/2011
4 CIUDAD
CIUDAD DE LAS ARTES
Y LAS CIENCIAS
VALENCIA, E
Signage: Bosco, Valencia
Architecture: Santiago Calatrava, Zurich

Y LAS CIEN Formally The “City of Arts and Sciences”, as the

independent signage cultural centre is named, combines an
Combination of opera house, a 3D cinema, a science
static and dynamic museum and Europe’s largest aquarium.
information The information system on the site is
embedded in a formally independent
way in the extroverted formal language of the architecture and represents
a combination of static and dynamic signage. White, black and grey are the
key colours used in the design; this low-key colour scheme places the focus
144 on the communication of content. All digital information and orientation
145 elements are framed in black panels, so that they are easy to locate within
the white building. The chosen typeface is Helvetica Neue Condensed,
which due to its narrow font width also allows larger quantities of text to be
integrated. Digital screens are used both for the presentation of informa-
tion, such as that on exhibitions and ticket prices, as well as for directional
guidance and advertising purposes. This means that the content of the
presentations can be readily adapted as required to incorporate new exhi-
bitions, themes and events.
The laser-cut pictograms and room descriptions are applied directly to
walls and carrier materials. The trilingual information is differentiated
through the use of different font styles (thin, regular, bold).

Digital screens communicate information such as

ticket prices and the scheduling of events.
DE LAS ARTES
CIAS
4 VIE
VIENNA AIRPORT CHECK-IN 3
VIENNA, A
Signage: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Paris/Zurich
Architecture: ARGE Itten Brechbühl, Bern;
B & E Baumschlager Eberle, Vienna

CHECK-IN 3 Clear formal language The passenger signage in the terminal ex-
Transparency tension at Vienna airport – the first com-
Innovative informa- municative contact which visitors have
tion carriers with the country on arrival – was planned
in close coordination with the architec-
ture and integrated into its design at a very early stage. The aim was to
create a calm atmosphere and a balanced overall picture without undue
visual interference; technical details were deliberately concealed. In their
translucence, the apparently “dematerialised” information carriers reflect
146 the vocabulary of the architectural design and at the same time are
147 intended to evoke the gravity-defying lightness of an aircraft taking off.
The choice of typeface and proportions of the lettering, as well as the light-
ing and colour scheme, are intended to facilitate orientation for an interna-
tional public. The visual language builds on the Fedraa Sans typeface
designed by the Slovenian typographer Peter Biľak and is used both in the
orientation and signage system and in the printed products produced for
the airport. Special internationally comprehensible symbols were devel-
oped for the pictograms.
All components of the communication of information such as directions,
identification, information points, dynamic information on departures and
arrivals, overview plans, safety signs and advertising spaces are integrated
in the overall concept and coordinated. This gives the signage an identity
and radiates calm and harmony.

The arrivals board with dynamic illuminated LED

lettering on a translucent white glass wall has an
innovative appearance.
NNA AIRPORT
Minimalism and clarity facilitate orientation
in this complex building with its high volume
of passengers.
 Transparency, light and shade, along with the grid-like
structure, give the clearly designed orientation system a
light, poetic expression.

Guiding components and destination confir-

mations – in this case, the gate information –
are visually distinguished from one another.
4
BRÜHLTOR-PASSAGE
ST. GALLEN, CH
Signage: Inform, Rorschach, Felix Hartmann
Architecture: Locher & Meier Architekten, St. Gallen

PASSAGE
150
151

The corporate identity of the city of St. Gallen

would have required red arrows, but green
arrows were chosen due to their better legibility
for the visually impaired. The lettering is in white
for maximum contrast with the background.
BRÜHLTOR-
Signage without The gallery-like underpass, built in the
carrier media 1970s and forming an important access
Light projection route to the old city centre of St. Gallen,
has been thoroughly renovated. The sim-
plified floor plan layout with widened passages and straightened shop
fronts now facilitates orientation. The new name, Brühltor-Passage, can be
read clearly at all four exits. In order to avoid compromising its aesthetics
with signage elements, the designers looked for a way of realising the
information system without the use of carrier media. To this end they use
gobo (graphical optical blackout) projectors, which use inserted slides to
project text and arrows onto the floor. All information points at which there
is a choice of several routes are defined beforehand; at these points gobo
projectors mounted on the ceiling project destination information onto
the grey granite flooring in coordination with the lighting concept. In these
blocks of words, more distant destinations are always shown at the top,
with nearer ones listed below; the direction is indicated by arrows. The
system is highly adaptable – if the information changes, only the slide
needs to be replaced.
4 RE ALISING SIGNAGE
Torsten Krüger
Epilogue –
The iconography of
152
153 the third millennium
Symbols, Human development is closely linked
language, with the evolution of language. The
writing association of meanings with sounds
gave rise to a generally understood
system of communication which became the basis for human
social relationships and the division of labour. The process of
linguistic evolution took place over millennia. The different
geographical and ancestral influences produced innumera-
ble language groups and dialects; rapid communication
between fundamentally different languages was not possible.
Simple gestures and symbols therefore form the basis for a
universally understandable signage. Showing open hands,
for example, symbolises that the visitor is not coming with
hostile intent. Cave paintings, ancient graffiti, sculptures and
articles of everyday use which have survived through the
ages show clear forms and colours reduced to simple mean-
ings which we can still understand today. The abstraction of
the subject represented is an ubiquitous feature, as is the
development of a formal and expressive canon which reflects
the cultural context of the society of that time as well as its
interactions with other cultures. Abstraction and the repeti-
tion of inherited patterns represent the beginnings of human
communication and culture.
Letters and words, numbers and symbols are used to encode
information in signage. In order to make it possible for the
information to be universally interpreted and understood,
these elements are standardised and abstracted. Our ability
to combine different forms of information has given rise to
corresponding design principles. The system of numbers in
general use today, which was developed by Indian scholars
and brought to Europe by the Arabs, consisting of a total
of  ten symbols which can be combined to represent an infi-
nitely higher number of values, is one of the most successful
symbol systems of all time. Without this abstraction, the rep-
resentation of numbers would be significantly more compli-
cated today.
The digital age of computer technology has made it possible,
using binary code, to reduce the number of elements required
in order to represent complex content to two. Arranged in
different sequences, the numbers 0 and 1 encode both our
everyday life, with its profusion of digital devices, and our
communication with other people and groups.
Global As users, we are probably just at the
networking beginning of a paradigm shift which
is influenced by the possibilities of-
fered by computer technology and the internet, and which
is already being taken into consideration in the development
of new technical systems. Modern life is dominated by ana-
logue and digital technologies used for communicating infor-
mation. The opportunities and applications opened up by
new technologies are innumerable. Digital hardware and
software based on internationally harmonised standards are
being used for the planning and design of information and
orientation systems, interior design and architecture. This
makes it technically unproblematic to integrate the special-
ist  discipline of signage into all phases of an architecture
project. Due to the global dissemination of creative and tech-
nical concepts and the harmonisation of standards and legal
regulations, more and more standards for the planning of
architecture and signage have become established in recent
years. In addition, numerous design philosophies exist on the
basis of which holistic multidisciplinary signage concepts are
developed, taking into consideration separate formal and
design solutions. This makes it possible to tailor buildings,
as  a product, to the globally converging interests of clients.
A headquarters building in China, a shopping centre in Ger-
many, an airport in the USA or a stadium in South Africa – each
of these could equally well be located in other parts of the Sustainable Sustainability requires integrative
world. The local influence of inherited cultural elements is solutions concepts which solve functional de-
diminishing. In contrast, most projects are assigned a clear pendencies with minimal complex-
marketing and communication concept which – developed ity and which, in terms of their signage, develop a long-term
visually on the basis of international standards – encourages communicative strategy which can readily adapt to changes
an individual perception of the building. Signage represents in processes, routes and content over its lifespan. Invest-
a key component of the brand image of building. ments in signage pay for themselves and enable a positive
return. In signage too, the guiding principle “less is more”
Signage as The trendsetters in architecture and highlights the necessity of communicating complex subjects
an interface signage are often small, unconven- simply and clearly. This is a prerequisite for rapid and clear
tional projects which transcend the orientation and information.
boundaries of the conventional with surprising, inspiring Since the technical revolution, our living and working environ-
solutions. However, the most multilayered challenge within ment has changed significantly due to the widespread use of
the genre involves brand-staging projects which subordinate digital products and the internet. Numerous research and
the architecture, design and communication most strictly to a development projects will mean a continuous learning pro-
central idea. These succeed when the individual disciplines cess in terms of the way we view architecture, design and sig-
are given the scope to express themselves and the corporate nage. At the same time, we will continue to develop tried and
identity is not interpreted as a straitjacket. Anyone who re- tested approaches. The way we handle information will con-
peats tried and tested solutions too often quickly loses touch tinue to change through the use of new technologies, as well
with the market. as the design of new graphic user interfaces and semantic
Architects and designers who reduce signage to aspects networks with interactive options. This is the iconography of
such as orientation are missing out on an opportunity to take the third millennium.
architecture and design conceptually a step further. An entre-
preneur who, for example, associates the development of a
new signage system with the evolution of the company, its
products and its employees secures their competitiveness. It
is taken for granted that an innovative architectural concept
will stand out as an iconographic symbol in the urban struc-
ture. This can be linked with an exciting signage concept
which has a key influence on the mood and atmosphere of a
building. The architecture reflects the elements of the pro-
gramme as well as the functional structure of a building and
defines the relationships between principal circulation routes.
The interior design expresses the directly perceptible inter-
face between users and building; in addition, signage per-
forms the function of informing the users, providing orienta-
tion and guiding them through the space. All disciplines
involved in the design process therefore benefit from the
participation of the client in the design and through this con-
sultation process reflect the essence of the architecture and
the brand. Signage demands that consideration be given to
the most efficient structure, the clearest orientation. It informs
visitors and through its link to the corporate identity makes
a statement about the positioning of the user of the building
on the market. Architecture, design and signage are key ele-
ments of a successful urban development, transport or build-
ing concept and are inextricably linked to it.
5
FACTS

156 Project data

162 Standards, guidelines, regulations
163 Literature
163 Photo credits
165 Authors
166 Index
167 Imprint
5
Project data

KATTA CIVIC POLYCLINIC SURRY HILLS LIBRARY &

SHIROISHI, J COMMUNITY CENTER
SYDNEY, AUS

Client: Katta Civic Polyclinic, Tokyo Client: City of Sydney

Signage: Hara Design Institute, Tokyo, Signage: Collider, Sydney, Andrew
Kenya Hara van der Westhuyzen, Clemens Habicht
Designer: Yuji Koiso Architecture: FJMT Francis-Jones
Materials: linoleum Morehen Thorp, Sydney
Completed: 2002 Materials: Corian, wood, enamel
Typeface: Swiss Bold
FAC TS

www.ndc.co.jp/hara/en
Completed: 2009
hara-inst@ndc.co.jp
www.collider.com.au
contact@collider.com.au

www.fjmt.com.au
fjmt@fjmt.com.au
156
157

INDUSTRIESCHULE GREEN POINT STADIUM

SPORTS HALL CAPE TOWN, SA
CHEMNITZ, D

Client: City of Chemnitz, Client: City of Cape Town, spv 2010

Municipal Department of Works
Signage: Gourdin & Müller,
Leipzig/Hamburg
Designer: Katharina Seitz
Materials: paint, film
Typeface: modified Avenir
Completed: 2010
www.gourdin-mueller.de
info@gourdin-mueller.de
Signage: Büro für Gestaltung Wangler
& Abele, Munich
Architecture: gmp · Architekten von
Gerkan, Marg and Partners, Berlin, in
collaboration with Louis Karol Archi-
tects, Point Architects, Cape Town
Lighting design: conceptlicht GmbH,
Traunstein; Arcus Gibb Consulting
Engineers, Cape Town
Materials: aluminium
Typeface: ITC Franklin Gothic
Completed: 2010

www.bfgest.de
info@bfgest.de

www.gmp-architekten.de
berlin@gmp-architekten.de
FORUM NOVÁ KAROLINA STUDENT QUARTER SENZOKU GAKUEN
OSTRAVA, CZ OLYMPIC VILLAGE COLLEGE OF MUSIC
MUNICH, D KAWASAKI, J

Client: Multi Development Czech
Republic a.s.
Signage: Gourdin & Müller, Leipzig/
Hamburg
Designers: Daniel Perraudin,
Felix Wissing
Architecture: OMA, Rotterdam
(design concept); Floris Alkemade
Architect; Heinrich Böll, Essen;
T + T Design
Materials: acrylic, LEDs
Typeface: Neutraface
Completed: 2012
www.gourdin-mueller.de
info@gourdin-mueller.de
Client: Studentenwerk München Client: Senzoku Gakuen College of
Signage: design stauss grillmeier, Music, Kawasaki
Munich Signage: Teradadesign Architects,
Architecture: ARGE Werner Wirsing Tokyo, Naoki Terada
bogevischs buero, Munich Designer: Masatoshi Horii
Landscape architecture: Keller Damm Architecture: Nihon Sekkei, Tokyo
Roser Landschaftsarchitekten Stadt- Area: 1481 m2
planer GmbH, Munich Completed: 2009
Materials: aluminium sheeting
www.teradadesign.com
Typeface: Univers 55
info@teradadesign.com
Completed: 2010
www.nihonsekkei.co.jp
www.stauss-grillmeier.com
info@stauss-grillmeier.com
www.bogevisch.de
buero@bogevisch.de

BERLIN BRANDENBURG THE COOPER UNION MUSEION

AIRPORT NEW YORK, USA BOLZANO/BOZEN, I
BERLIN, D

Client: Flughafen Berlin-Schönefeld
GmbH (FSB); since 2012 Flughafen
Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (FBB)
Signage: Moniteurs Kommunikation-
sdesign, Berlin
Architecture: gmp · Architekten von
Gerkan, Marg and Partners, Berlin;
JSK International, Frankfurt am Main
Lighting design: conceptlicht GmbH,
Traunreut
Completed: 2013
www.moniteurs.de
info@moniteurs.de
www.gmp-architekten.de
berlin@gmp-architekten.de
Client: The Cooper Union for Advance-
ment of Science and Art, New York
Signage: Pentagram Design, New York
Designers: Abbott Miller, Jeremy Hoff-
man, Brian Ravon, Susan Brzozowski
Architecture: Morphosis Architects,
Santa Monica, Thom Mayne, Silvia
Kuhle
Lighting design: Horton Lees Brogden
Lighting Design Inc., New York
Materials: stainless steel, etched glass,
granite
Typeface: Foundry Gridnik
Completed: 2009
www.pentagram.com
info@pentagram.com
Client: Autonomous Province of
Bolzano / Bozen, South Tyrol
Signage: Tomato, London
Architecture, interior design: KSV
Krüger Schubert Vandreike, Berlin
Lighting design: LichtVision, Berlin
Materials: magnets, wood
Typeface: Lubalin, Futura
Area: 8370 m2
Completed: 2008
www.tomato.co.uk
info@tomato.co.uk
www.ksv-network.de
ksv@ksv-network.de

www.morphosis.com
studio@morphosis.net
5
Project data
9H CAPSULE HOTEL
KYOTO, J
Client: Cubic Cooperation Limited,
Tokyo
Overall concept and product design:
Fumie Shibata, Tokyo
Signage: Hiromura Design Office,
Tokyo, Masaaki Hiromura
Architecture and structural design:
FAC TS
Sigma Architectural Design, Kyoto
Interior design: Takaaki Nakamura,
Tokyo
Lighting design: Panasonic Denko,
Tokyo
Completed: 2009
158
www.hiromuradesign.com
159
info@hiromuradesign.com
FAMILY BOX
BEIJING, CN
Client: Children Enterprise (UK) Ltd.
Signage: Didelidi studio, Beijing
Designers: Lulu, Mingtian
Architecture: crossboundaries
architects, Beijing
Architects: Hao Dong, Binke Lenhardt,
Feng Zheng, Fang Wang, Giacomo
Butte, Shanyun Huang
Lighting design: BIAD lighting studio
Materials: felt
Area: 5625 m2
Completed: 2009/2012
www.didelidi.com
studio@didelidi.com
www.crossboundaries.net
info@crossboundaries.net
ADIDAS LACES
HERZOGENAURACH, D
Client: adidas AG, Herzogenaurach
Signage: büro uebele visuelle
kommunikation, Stuttgart, Carolin
Himmel (project management),
Andreas Uebele
Architecture: kadawittfeldarchitektur
GmbH, Aachen
Interior design: ZieglerBürg Büro
für Gestaltung, Stuttgart, Mia Kreil,
Diane Ziegler
Materials: glass, highly-reflective film,
steel tubing
Typeface: adihaus
Area: 62 000 m2
Completed: 2011
www.uebele.com
info@uebele.com
www.zieglerbuerg.de
info@zieglerbuerg.de
www.kadawittfeldarchitektur.de
office@kwa.ac
UNDERGROUND CAR PARK,
HOCHHAUS AM PARK
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, D
Client: Amelia Asset 1 B.V.
Signage: quandel design und
kommunikation, Frankfurt am Main
Art Direction: Marcel Staudt
Architecture: MMZ Architekten GmbH,
Frankfurt am Main
Project management: Sarah Wille
Lighting design: AH Ingenieurgesell-
schaft für Elektrotechnik, Mainz
Materials: emulsion, latex and marking
paint, stencils, film decals
Typeface: DIN
Area: 9500 m2
Completed: 2010
www.quandeldesign.de
info@quandeldesign.de
www.mmz.eu
info@mmz.eu
STACHUS PASSAGEN MÉDIATHÈQUE HOLON DESIGN MUSEUM
MUNICH, D ANDRÉ MALRAUX HOLON, IL
STRASBOURG, F

Client: LBBW Immobilien Development Client: Communauté Urbaine de Client: Municipality of Holon
GmbH, Stuttgart Strasbourg Signage: Adi Stern Design, Jerusalem
Signage: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Zurich Signage: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Paris Architecture: Ron Arad Architects,
Project management: Ruedi Baur, Axel Project team: Ruedi Baur, Eva Kubinyi, London
Steinberger, Eva Plass, Daniela Valentini Simon Burkart, Wanja Ledowski, Completed: 2010
Graphic design: Jan-Eric Stephan, Thibault Fourrier (text research),
adi@bezalel.ac.il
Jana Strozinsky, Claudia Wildermuth in collaboration with Akatre
Architecture: Allmann Sattler Wappner Architecture: Jean Marc Ibos, Myrto www.ronarad.co.uk
Architekten, Munich Vitart, Paris info@ronarad.com
Lighting design: Schmidt König Licht- Materials: screen-printing,
design, Munich stencilled lettering
Materials: ceramic printed glass, Area: 18 000 m2
oxidised or coated aluminium, films, Completed: 2008
screen-printing
www.irb-paris.eu
Typeface: VialogLT
atelier@irb-paris.eu
Area: 18 000 m2
Completed: 2011 jmimv@ibosvitart.com
www.ibosvitart.com
www.irb-zurich.eu
zrh@irb-zurich.eu

www.allmannsattlerwappner.de
info@allmannsattlerwappner.de

VOLKSSCHULE TSCHAGGUNS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL BERNAQUA

TSCHAGGUNS, A GREIFSWALD BERN, CH
GREIFSWALD, D

Client: Municipality of Tschagguns Awarding authority: State of Client: Migros Aare

Signage: Sigi Ramoser, Sägenvier Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
DesignKommunikation, Dornbirn Client: University Hospital Greifswald
Architecture: Lang Vonier Architekten Signage: Beate Kling Architekten,
ZT GmbH, Göfis Berlin
Materials: silver-coloured satinised film, Designers: Beatrice Vollmer,
metal Susanne Augustin
Typeface: Parable Architecture: Arkitekter Dall &
Area: 590 m2 Linhardtsen A/S, Helsingør;
Completed: 2008 HWP Planungsgesellschaft mbH,
Stuttgart
www.saegenvier.at
Materials: steel, powder-coated
ramoser@saegenvier.at
aluminium profile, film lettering,
www.lang-vonier.com film decals
office@lang-vonier.com Typeface: Helvetica Condensed
Area: 85 323 m2
Completed: 2011/2012
Signage: L2M3 Kommunikationsdesign
GmbH, Stuttgart
Architecture: Architekt Daniel
Libeskind AG, Zurich
Materials: matt-painted plastic,
polished stainless steel
Typeface: AF Module
Completed: 2008
www.l2m3.com
info@l2m3.com
www.daniel-libeskind.com
info@daniel-libeskind.com

www.beatekling.de
info@beatekling.de
5
Project data

SIGNTERIOR ORDNUNGSAMT STADT

SHANGHAI, CN FRANKFURT
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, D

Client: Haitai Real Estate Client: OFB Projektentwicklung GmbH,

Signage: ujidesign, Tokyo
Architecture: A-ASTERISK, Shanghai,
Nobuhiro Nakamura; A-I-SHA
architects, Shanghai, Tsutomu Fujioka
Lighting design: Masahide Kakudate
Lighting Architect & Associates, Tokyo
FAC TS
Frankfurt am Main
Signage: unit-design, Frankfurt am Main
Designers: Bernd Hilpert, Peter Eckart,
Robert Cristinetti, Sabrina Flegel
Architecture: Meixner Schlüter Wendt
Architekten, Frankfurt am Main

Materials: white artificial marble, Designers: José Ortells, Nina Kreiter,

quartz sand, silk Antje Feenders
Typeface: DIN Materials: stencilling, film decals,
Area: 4400 m2 rear-printed glass panels for light boxes
Completed: 2006 Typeface: Thesis Sans
Completed: 2009
www.ujidesign.com
160 info@ujidesign.com www.unit-design.de
161 info@unit-design.de
www.a-asterisk.com
a@a-asterisk.com www.meixner-schlueter-wendt.de
info@meixner-schlueter-wendt.de
www.a-i-sha.com
info@a-i-sha.com

LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE PFALZBAU THEATRE

FOR BALTIC SEA RESEARCH LUDWIGSHAFEN, D
WARNEMÜNDE, D

Client: State of Mecklenburg- Client: City of Ludwigshafen

Vorpommern Signage: Daniela Valentini, Zurich
Signage, architecture and interior Architecture: wiesemann architekten,
design: KSV Krüger Schubert Cologne
Vandreike, Berlin Project management: Meike Elzer,
Material: steel Verena Keulen
Typeface: Meta Plus Designers: Elisa Goal, Susanne Janson,
Area: 2030 m2 Susanne Kreuder, Marcus Schwarz
Completed: 2008 Lighting design: Bastgen + Strobl,
Mülheim
www.ksv-network.de
Materials: solid aluminium painted in
ksv@ksv-network.de
three degrees of gloss, paint applied
by screen-printing and stencilling
Typeface: Reykjavik Two B Gauge,
Reykjavik One C Gauge, Reykjavik
One A Gauge
Area: 17 000 m2
Completed: 2009

www.danielavalentini.com
mail@danielavalentini.com

prof.wiesemann@t-online.de
NAGASAKI PREFECTURAL ETH SPORTS CENTER MORISAWA HEAD OFFICE
ART MUSEUM SCIENCE CITY OSAKA, J
NAGASAKI, J ZURICH, CH

Client: Nagasaki Prefectural Client: ETH Immobilien, Building Client: Morisawa & Company, Ltd.
Government Department, Zurich Signage: Hiromura Design Office,
Signage: Hara Design Institute, Tokyo, Signage: TGG Hafen Senn Stieger, Tokyo, Masaaki Hiromura
Kenya Hara St. Gallen Designer: Tomoya Maruyama
Designer: Yoshiaki Irobe Architecture: Dietrich | Untertrifaller | Typeface: Kohcho
Motion Graphic: Hiroyuki Saito Stäheli Architekten, Bregenz Completed: 2009
Architecture: Kengo Kuma & Team: Peter Nussbaumer (project
www.hiromuradesign.com
Associates, Tokyo management), Bernhard Kraft,
info@hiromuradesign.com
Completed: 2005 Dietmar Geiselmann, Doris Tahedl,
Eva Dorn, Raffael Grups, Nina Sulger,
www.ndc.co.jp/hara/en
Karin Hopfner, Silvia Lau, Sven Meller
hara-inst@ndc.co.jp
Area: 8064 m2
www.kkaa.co.jp Completed: 2009
kuma@kkaa.co.jp
www.tgg.ch
info@tgg.ch

www.dietrich.untertrifaller.com
arch@dietrich.untertrifaller.com

CIUDAD DE LAS ARTES VIENNA AIRPORT BRÜHLTOR-PASSAGE

Y LAS CIENCIAS CHECK-IN 3 ST. GALLEN, CH
VALENCIA, E VIENNA, A

Client: Ciudad de las Artes y las
Ciencias de Valencia
Signage: Bosco, Valencia
Digital signage: Bosco, in collaboration
with ToDo, Turin
Architecture: Sanitago Calatrava,
Zurich
Materials: LED screens
Typeface: Helvetica Neue Condensed
Completed: 2010
www.boscographic.com
bosco@boscographic.com
www.calatrava.com
Client: Flughafen Wien AG Client: St. Gallen Municipal
Signage: Intégral Ruedi Baur, Department of Works
Paris/Zurich Signage: Inform GmbH, Rorschach,
Project management: Ruedi Baur, Felix Hartmann
Eva Kubinyi, Simon Burkart Designers: Marc Frick,
Project team: Christina Poth, Axel Stein- Tristan Hartmann
berger, Wanja Ledowski, Maria Rosz- Architecture: Locher & Meier
kowska, Gabriela Wolfertz, David Esser Architekten, St. Gallen, Paul Meier
Architects: ARGE Itten Brechbühl AG, Lighting design: Hellraum GmbH,
Bern; B & E Baumschlager Eberle, St. Gallen, Adrian Hostettler
Vienna Materials: gobo projectors
Materials: aluminium, steel, glass, digi- Typeface: Univers
tal and screen-printing, film lettering Completed: 2008
Typeface: Fedra Sans
www.informgmbh.ch
Completed: 2012
info@informgmbh.ch
www.irb-paris.eu
www.locher-meier.ch
atelier@irb-paris.eu
info@locher-meier.ch
www.ittenbrechbuehl.ch
architects@ittenbrechbuehl.ch

www.baumschlager-eberle.com
office@be-lochau.com
5
Standards, guidelines, regulations
(selection)

The draft of the DIN standard “Require-
ments on Orientation Systems” planned
for Germany was never published due
to discrepancies in the contents. There
are no plans to continue the project
or introduce the standard at present.
The standards listed below relate to
partial aspects to be taken into consid-
eration in connection with the subject
of signage.
FAC TS
DIN 32984 Ground Surface
Indicators in Public Areas.
2011-10
DIN 33 402 Ergonomics –
Body Dimensions of People
Part 1: Terms and definitions,
measuring methods. 2008-03
Part 2: Values. 2005-12
Part 3: Movement room at different
normal positions and movements.
ÖNorm B 1600 Barrier-free Con-
struction – Design Principles. 2012-02
ÖNorm V 2102 Technical Aids for
visually Impaired and blind persons –
Tactile ground surface indicators
ÖNorm V 2105 Technical Aids for the
Visually-Impaired – Tactile inscriptions
and Information Systems

Barrier-free Information Technology 1984-10

Ordinance (BITV) Ordinance on the
creation of accessible information
technology in compliance with the Act
on Equal Opportunities of Disabled
People 2011-09
162
163 Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehin-
dertenverband e.V. (DBSV) Guide-
line for tactile writings – Application of
Braille and raised profile writing and
pictograms. 2007-05
DIN 1450 Lettering – legibility.
2012-06
DIN 1451 Lettering – Sans-Serif
Linear-Antiqua
Part 1: General. 1998-10
Part 2: Lettering for transportation.
1986-02
Part 3: Lettering for printing. 1987-12
Part 4: Stencilled lettering for engrav-
ing and other processes. 1987-08
DIN 4844 Graphical symbols –
Safety Colours And Safety Signs
Part 1: Observation distances and
colorimetric and photometric require-
ments. 2012-06
Part 2: Registered safety signs. 2012-12
DIN 6164 DIN colour chart. 1980-02
DIN 13 984 Tactile writings. Appli-
cation of Braille and Raised Profile
Lettering. In planning
DIN 18 040 Construction of accessi-
ble buildings – Design Principles
Part 1: Publicly accessible buildings.
2010-10
Part 2: Dwellings. 2011-09
Part 3: Circulation areas and open
spaces. In preparation
DIN 32 974 Acoustic Signals in Public
Traffic Areas – Requirements. 2000-02
DIN 32 975 Designing Visual Infor-
mation in Public Areas for Accessible
Use. 2009-12
DIN 32 976 Braille – Requirements
and Dimensions. 2007-08
Switzerland:
DIN 67 510 Phosphorescent Pigments SIA 500 Accessible Buildings. 2009
and Products
Part 3: Low location lighting systems. SN 640 852 Markings – Tactile-
Part 4: Products for phosphorescent Visual Markings for Blind and Visually-
escape route systems – Markings and Impaired Pedestrians
applications.
DIN EN 80 416 Basic Principles
for Graphical Symbols for use on
equipment
Part 2: Form and use of arrows.
2002-05
DIN EN ISO 9241 Ergonomics of
Human-System Interaction
Part 210: Process for the design
of serviceable interactive systems.
2011-01
DIN Technical Report 124 Products
in Design for All. 2002
DIN ISO 3864 Graphical symbols –
Safety Colours and Safety Signs
Part 1: Design principles for safety
signs and safety markings. 2008-07
Part 3: Design principles for graphical
symbols for use in safety signs. 2012-11
ISO 4190 Lift installation
Part 5: Control devices, signals and
additional fittings. 2006-11
Austria:
ÖNorm A 6015 Lettering; Sans-Serif
Linear-Antiqua; Lettering for printing.
1986-09
ÖNorm A 3011 Graphic Symbols for
Public Information – General Principles.
1994-12
ÖNorm A 3012 Visual Guiding
Systems for Public Information – Orien-
tation supported by direction arrows,
graphic symbols, text, light and colour.
1994-04
ÖNorm A 3013 Visual Guiding
Systems for Public Information – Desig-
nation of orientation signs for touristic
purposes. 1998-07
Literature
(selection)
Bauer, Erwin K.; Mayer, Dieter: Orienta-
tion & Identity. Portraits of International
Guidance Systems. Vienna / New York
2009
Büro für Gestaltung Wangler & Abele:
Design. 5 volumes 2002–12
Galindo, Michelle: Signage Design.
Salenstein 2012
Gibson, David: The Wayfinding Hand-
book. Information Design for Public
Places. New York 2009
Hartmann, Frank; Bauer, Erwin K.:
Pictorial Language. Otto Neurath,
Visualisierungen. Vienna 2006
MAGMA Brand Design (Eds.): Signage
Orientation. Slanted #18. Karlsruhe
2012
Herwig, Oliver: In that direction – sign
systems bring clarity to a complex
world. In: DETAIL 06 / 2009, p. 564– 568
Kant, Immanuel: What Does it Mean
to Orient Oneself in Thinking? In:
Immanuel Kant: Works in Twelve
Volumes. Vol. 5. Frankfurt am Main
1977
Kjeldsen, Kjeld et al.: New Nordic
Architecture & Identity. Exhibition
Catalogue, Louisiana Museum of
Modern Art 2012
Klooster, Thorsten (Ed.): Smart Sur-
faces. Smart Surfaces and their
Application in Architecture and
Design. Basel/Boston/Berlin 2009
Lunger, Christian; Scheiber, Markus:
Orientation When Travelling. Tourist
Signage Systems. Berlin 2009
Lutsch, Christian (Ed.): Positions.
Orientation in Society, Science and
Media. Implications for the Design of
Processes and Strategies. Ostfildern-
Ruit 2003
McLuhan, Marshall; Fiore, Quentin;
Agle, Jerome (Eds.): The Medium is
the Massage. An Inventory of Effects.
Stuttgart 2011
Meuser, Philipp (Ed.); Pogade, Daniela:
Signage and Pictograms. Berlin 2010
Stettien, Katharina: Orientation and
Signage Systems in Hospitals. Bases
for the Planning of an Orientation
and Signage System for Visitors and
Patients including a Project Study
Placement with Evangelische Kranken-
haus Köln-Weyertal GmbH. Degree
paper produced at Koblenz University
of Applied Sciences. 2005
TwoPoints.Net (Eds.): Left, Right, Up,
Down. New Directions in Signage and
Wayfinding. Berlin 2010
Uebele, Andreas: Orientation Systems
and Signage. A Planning Manual for
Architects, Product Designers and
Communications Designers. Mainz
2006
von Degenhart, Christine; Ebe, Johann;
Heiss Oliver: Barrier-free Design. Prin-
ciples, Planning, Examples. Munich
2009
Photo credits
The authors and publishers would like
to express their heartfelt thanks to all
those who have helped this book come
into being by providing us with photo-
graphic images, by granting us permis-
sion to reproduce this material and by
providing us with information.
Illustrations which are not credited
are taken from the archives of the
designers, graphic designers and
architects or from the archives DETAIL
magazine. Despite intensive efforts
we were unable to identify the holders
of the copyrights to a number of the
photos and illustrations; nonetheless,
the copyrights are protected. We
request that the authors notify us
accordingly.
p. 8, 62 bottom left and bottom right,
63, 102 – 105, 158 top right,
160 top right
Werner Huthmacher, D –Berlin
p. 14, 15, 156 top left
Nippon Design Center, Inc., J –Tokyo
p. 17 bottom right, 156 top right
John Gollings, AUS – St Kilda
p. 18, 19, 30, 31, 115 bottom right, 124,
156 bottom left, 157 top left
Gourdin & Müller, Leipzig /Hamburg
p. 20, 21 bottom Uwe Gelesch,
D – Gelsenkirchen
p. 21 top Martin Schmüdderich,
D –Gelsenkirchen
p. 22 top and bottom, 23 top and
centre pro Sport Munich (publ.):
The Games. Volume 1. The Organi-
zation. Munich 1972
p. 22 centre, 23 bottom pro Sport
Munich (publ.): The Games. Volume
2. The Constructions. Munich 1972
p. 24 – 27, 157 top centre
design stauss grillmeier, D–Munich
p. 28, 29, 157 top right Yuki Omori
p. 32 Cesare Querci
p. 35 Bruce Sutherland,
SA–Cape Town
p. 37 Heiner Leiska, D – Wedel
p. 38/39 top gmp · Architekten von
Gerkan, Marg and Partners, D –Berlin
p. 38 bottom, 39 centre, 42 bottom left
and bottom right, 43, 45 top, 47 top
right, 156 bottom right
Marcus Bredt, D –Berlin
p. 39 bottom, 42 left top and centre,
44, 45 bottom Büro für Gestaltung
Wangler & Abele, D–Munich
p. 40, 41, 47 top left Moniteurs
Kommunikationsdesign, D–Berlin
p. 46, 47 bottom Joachim Brohm,
D–Leipzig
p. 48 left top, 48 right, 49 left top,
49 left bottom, 157 bottom
centre Chuck Choi, USA – Arling-
ton, MA
5
Photo credits

p. 48 left bottom, 51, 86 bottom, 139
Iwan Baan, NL–Amsterdam
p. 49 right Roland Halbe/arturimages
p. 50 Allianz Arena, D–Munich
p. 52, 54, 55, 132 bottom, 133
Torsten Krüger, www.ksv-network.de
p. 53 Cupertino City Council,
www.cupertino.org
p. 57, 157 bottom right
Paolo Riolzi, I–Mailand
p. 58, 59 Ludwig Thalheimer/Lupe,
FAC TS
p. 110 top, 111 top right
Helen Hüsser, CH– Zurich
p. 111 top left Michael Fontana
p. 112 Hauser, black, CH–Basel
p. 113 left Frank Hartmann,
Erwin K. Bauer: Bildersprache.
Otto Neurath, Visualisierungen.
Vienna 2006, p. 84
p. 113 centre © 1976 by ERCO,
D–Lüdenscheid
p. 113 right unit-design, D–Frankfurt
Photos introducing chapters
p. 8:
Training Centre, GRG Services
Group, Berlin (D) 2008, architecture:
Beate Kling Architekten
Photo: Werner Hutmacher, D –Berlin
p. 32:
MAXXI Museum, Rome (I) 2010,
architecture: Zaha Hadid Architects,

I– Bolzano / Bozen am Main signage: ma:design, Monica Zaffini,

p. 60, 61, 108, 109, 127 top, 130, 131,
158 top left, 159 bottom centre,
161 top right
Nacása & Partners Inc., J–Tokyo
p. 62 top, 64, 65 top, 114 bottom left
164 and bottom right, 138
165 Christian Richters, D–Münster
p. 65 bottom, 114 top buero
uebele visuelle kommunikation,
D– Stuttgart
p. 66 L2M3 Kommunikationsdesign,
D– Stuttgart
p. 74 –77, 159 top left
Brigida González, D–Stuttgart
p. 68 –73, 78, 79, 81 top left and
top right, 146 bottom left, 148,
149 top left, 159 top centre
Intégral Ruedi Baur, F– Paris /
CH–Zurich
p. 80, 81 bottom Dieter Mayer, Struktiv,
A–Kirchberg am Wagram
p. 81 top centre George Fessy,
F–Lyon
p. 81 centre Philippe Ruault, F–Nantes
p. 82, 83 left top Elad Sarig,
IL –Tel Aviv
p. 84, 110 bottom, 111 centre and
bottom Stephan Klonk, D –Berlin
p. 85 top www1.wdr.de/themen/
ratgeber/wilderkermeter100_ga-1_
pic-7.html
p. 85 centre Davide Tidoni © 2010
p. 85 bottom polyform – planen und
gestalten, D –Berlin
p. 86 top, 125 top bauer – konzept &
gestaltung, A–Vienna
p. 87 Ralston & Bau, N–Dale i
Sunnfjord
p. 88 –91, 126 centre and bottom,
158 bottom left Chaoying Yang
p. 92, 93, 158 bottom right
Jörg Hempel, D–Aachen
p. 94, 95, 159 bottom left
Patrick Säly, A–Tschagguns
p. 96, 97, 99, 100, 104/105 bottom, 129
Beate Kling Architekten, D–Berlin
p. 98, 128 bottom left and bottom
centre Wanja Ledowski – Studio,
F– Paris
p. 106, 128 top, 159 bottom right
L2M3 Kommunikationsdesign,
D–Stuttgart
p. 107 Florian Hammerich,
D– Regensburg
p. 115 top right Mijksenaar, Massimiliano Patrignani
NL – Amsterdam Photo: Cesare Querci
p. 115 top left, 144, 145, 161 bottom
left Bosco, E–Valencia p. 66:
p. 115 bottom left BURRI public SimTech, University of Stuttgart (D)
elements AG, CH–Zurich 2012, architecture: hartwig schneider
p. 116, 117, 160 top left architekten, signage: L2M3 Kommuni-
Eibe Sönnecken, D–Darmstadt kationsdesign
p. 118, 119, 161 top left Photo: L2M3 Kommunikationsdesign,
Daici Ano, J –Tokyo D–Stuttgart
p. 120, 161 top centre TGG Hafen
Senn Stieger, CH–St. Gallen p. 122:
p. 121 Bruno Klomfar, A–Vienna Pfalzbau Theatre, Ludwigshafen (D)
p. 122 Eicher Werkstätten, 2009, architecture: wiesemann
D–Rommelshausen architekten, Signage: Daniela Valentini
p. 124 Gourdin & Müller, Photo: Eicher Werkstätten, D–Rom-
D–Leipzig/Hamburg melshausen
p. 125 centre and bottom,
127 bottom right Andreas Körner, p. 154:
D–Stuttgart Statistical display in the exhibition
p. 127 bottom left Roman Polster, “Arbeit. Sinn und Sorge”, German
D–Kassel Hygiene Museum Dresden, 2009/10,
p. 128 bottom right Axel Schneider, design: ART+COM
D–Frankfurt am Main Photo: ART+COM, D –Berlin
p. 132 centre top, 160 bottom left
Frank Neumann
p. 134 bottom left, bottom right Cover
Daniela Valentini, CH–Zurich
p. 134 top, 135, 160 bottom right Museion, Bolzano/Bozen (I) 2008,
Stefan Müller, D–Berlin architecture: KSV Krüger Schubert
p. 137, 140 Peter Mauss/Esto Vandreike
p. 141 Edo van Dijk/Edenspiekermann, Photo: Ludwig Thalheimer/Lupe,
NL – Amsterdam I– Bolzano / Bozen
p. 142 3d-berlin vr solutions GmbH,
D–Berlin
p. 143 left Mac Funamizu/
petitinvention.wordpress.com
p. 143 right © Fraunhofer Heinrich-
Hertz-institute, D–Berlin
p. 146 top and bottom right,
147, 149 top right and bottom,
161 bottom centre
Intégral Ruedi Baur, Photos:
Andreas Körner, D– Stuttgart
p. 150, 151 bottom left and
bottom right, 161 bottom right
Heinz Köppel, CH–Rorschach
p. 151 left top, centre left and
centre right Inform GmbH,
CH–Rorschach
p. 154 ART+COM, D–Berlin
p. 157 bottom left Alexander
Obst/Marion Schmieding
(Berlin Brandenburg Airport)
Authors

Beate Kling Torsten Krüger

Born 1967 Born 1963
1986 – 1991: studied architecture at the 1983 – 1988: studied architecture at
Bauhaus University in Weimar, final the Bauhaus University in Weimar;
project exhibited at the Architecture worked at the Bauakademie in Berlin;
Biennale in Venice; 1990: founded the interdisciplinary
Worked at the architectural practice of creative agency KSV Krüger Schuberth
Dr. Krause in Weimar, involved in the Vandreike GmbH; numerous competi-
restoration of historic buildings, includ- tions and awards, realisation of national
ing the UNESCO World Heritage Site and international projects in the fields
“Classical Weimar”; of brand architecture, corporate
1993 – 2003: architect with Architekten design, interior design, exhibition
von Gerkan, Marg and Partners in their design and signage.
Aachen, Leipzig and Berlin offices,
project management of major projects
including Jakob Kaiser Haus – office
complex for members of the German
Bundestag, Berlin;
2003: founded Beate Kling Architekten
practice in Berlin, realisation of pro-
jects in the fields of architecture,
communication design and signage.

Ruedi Baur Falk Jaeger partner at Architekten von Gerkan,

Born 1956
Studied graphic design at the Academy
of Art and Design in Zurich;
1983: co-founder of the BBV studio in
Lyons, Milan and Zurich;
1989: co-founder of the interdiscipli-
nary network Intégral Concept, since
then head of the Intégral Ruedi Baur
studios in Paris and Zurich (2002) and
the Laboratoire IRB in Paris (2007);
1989 – 1996: coordination of the de-
partment of design at the École des
Beaux-Arts in Lyons;
1995: Professor at the Academy of
Visual Arts in Leipzig, 1997– 2000
Rector of the Academy;
1999: founded the 2id Institute for
Interdisciplinary Design in Leipzig;
2004 – 2011: founded and headed
the design2context research institute
at the Zurich University of the Arts;
2011: founded the Civic City/Civic
Design critical research institute and
network at the HEAD University of Art
and Design in Geneva;
Teaches at the École national supéri-
eure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Born 1950
Studied architecture and history of art
in Brunswick, Stuttgart and Tübingen,
received doctorate from the Technical
University in Hanover;
has worked since 1976 as a freelance
architectural critic;
1983 – 1988: assistant lecturer at the
Institute for Architectural History and
Surveying at the Technical University
in Berlin, followed by lectureships at
various universities;
1993 – 2000: chair in architectural
theory at the Technical University in
Dresden, where he has been a visiting
professor since 2000;
lives in Berlin working as a freelance
publicist, academic, curator and spe-
cialist journalists for radio, newspapers
and specialist publications.
Hubert Nienhoff
Born 1959
Studied architecture at the RWTH
in Aachen, graduated 1985;
1988–1991 Assistant lecturer at
the RWTH Aachen, chair for urban
planning and material studies;
since 1988 employee, since 1993
Marg and Partners, responsible for the
Berlin, Frankfurt am Main and Rio de
Janeiro offices, project management
of new trade fair building in Leipzig,
Olympic stadium in Berlin, Commerz-
bank Arena in Frankfurt (FIFA World
Cup 2006), stadia for the FIFA World
Cup 2010 in South Africa, National
Stadium in Warsaw (UEFA EURO 2012),
Berlin Brandenburg (Willy Brandt)
Airport, stadia for the FIFA World Cup
2014 in Brazil.
Michael Schwanke-Seer
Born 1972
Studied banking
Worked at VingCard Elsafe in Wies-
baden and Acentic GmbH in Cologne;
2008–2011: Senior Manager Accounts
& Development Europe – Hospitality
Business at LG Electronics Europe in
Amstelveen, responsible for the hotel
sector throughout Europe;
since 2011: COO of Macnetix GmbH in
Berlin, responsible for Sales, Projects
and Marketing.
5
Index
Accessibility 85
Accessible design 84
Acoustic support 129
Additive information carriers 124
Addressing 101
Advertising displays 115
Analogue information carriers 124
Arrows 112
Assistance personnel 129
Audio guide 129
Audio output 87
FAC TS
Backlighting 115
Back projection 137
Barrier-free building 11
Brand communication 50
166 Brand messages 51
167 Brand management 101
Brand staging 53
Building guidance system 34
Building identity 13, 50ff., 101, 110
Building typology 96
Circulation layout 98, 100
Circulation routes 97
Client 98
Coating method 125
Coding 101, 111
Colour 38, 70, 112
Colour coding 54
Colour contrast 86, 113
Colour signage system 22
Communication concept 110
Communication design 53
Conservation 36
Control elements 101
Corporate culture 12, 52
Corporate identity 13, 21, 50, 52,
101, 110
Costs 98
Cultural traditions 55
Cultural identity 38
Daylight 41
Design for All 84
Design goals 85
Design levels 101
Design manual 39, 41, 50, 99
Design principles 39
Digital door signs 142
Digital advertising 136
Digital information technologies 127
Digital information carriers 124
Digital media 11, 129
Digital screens 115
Digital signage 136ff.
Digital technologies 138
Displays 136
Employee information systems 136
Enamelling 125
Ergonomic flexibility 86
Etching 125
Functional relationships 101
Genius loci 36, 38
Graphic coding 112
Green IT 142
Grouping of information 101
Guest information system 136, 142
Guidance information 100
Guidelines 87
Guidance system 20f., 101
Hearing impairment 86
Hierarchies 10, 21, 97
Hierarchical levels 54, 101
Holistic design 35
Identity 10, 12, 38
Independent navigation 98
Information chain 101
Information system 100
Inlays 125
Integrated information carriers
125
Integrated signage 36, 99
Integrative planning 125
Intelligent information systems 101
Interactive displays 138
Interactive technology 143
Interdisciplinary conception 72
Key Visuals 113
LCD displays 138
LCD panel 136
LED displays 138
LED monitors 136
LED walls 137
Legibility 111
Lettering 111
Light 115, 126
Material 113
Modular system 39
Monitors 136
Multilingual communication
114
Navigation system 41
Network components 136
OLED 143
Organisational structure 40
Orientation 10ff., 34, 40
Orientation design 100
Orientation system 34, 100
Patterns of order 20
Perception level 101
Perspective effect 126
Pictogram 111
Pictogram family 21
Planning basis 99
Positioning 101
Positioning technologies 138ff.
Printed products 50, 129
Projecting components 137
Projection 115, 137
Projection surfaces 136
QR code 97, 140
Ready-made information carriers 127
Room directories 100
Room numbering system 100
Routing 101
Safety requirements 35
Screen printing 125
Self-explanatory space 34
Semantics 114
Shared Spaces 34
Signage 101
Sign families 124
Smartphone 23, 41, 140
Software 136, 140
Spatial typology 96
Supplementary sources of information
129
Sustainability 152
Standards 86, 98
Standardisation 21, 111
Systematic information specification
100
Tactile lettering 87
Target groups 51, 97, 101
Teamwork 55, 99
Temporary signage systems 127
Three-dimensionality 113, 125
Touch displays 138
Touchscreens 115, 129
Traffic flows 97
Two-dimensional applications 125
Typography 53, 111
Understanding of language 114
Universal Design 13, 84
Verbal information 129
Viewing distance 111
Visual appearance 53
Visual coding 112
Visual impairment 86
Visual language 21, 53,111
Visual relationships 96
WLAN 139
Imprint

Authors:
Beate Kling, Torsten Krüger

Co-authors:
Ruedi Baur, Falk Jaeger, Hubert Nienhoff, Michael Schwanke-Seer

Research:
Susanne Augustin

Editors:
Cornelia Hellstern (project management), Sandra Leitte

Editorial team:
Carola Jacob-Ritz, Michaela Linder, Kai Meyer, Michaela Wengert

Drawings:
Ralph Donhauser

Translation into English:

Antoinette Aichele-Platen, D – Munich; Alistair Gray, UK – Whitby

Copy editor:
Philip Shelley, CH – Zurich

Design concept and cover design:

Katharina Zettl, D – Berlin

Production / DTP:
Simone Soesters

Reproduction:
ludwig:media, A – Zell am See

Printing and binding:

Kessler Druck + Medien, D – Bobingen

This work is copyright protected. The associated rights are reserved, in particular
those of translation, reprinting, public presentation, the use of illustrations and
tables, radio broadcasting, microfilming or copying by other means or storage on
data processing systems, even where only extracts are used. In individual cases too,
copying of this work or parts of this work is only permissible within the limits of the
statutory provisions of the Copyright Act in its valid version. Such copying must
always be paid for. Contraventions are subject to the sanctions provided for under
the Copyright Act.

Bibliographic information held by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. The

Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbib-
liografie; detailed bibliographical information is available on the internet at
http://dnb.d-nb.de.

© 2013, first edition

DETAIL – Institut für internationale Architektur-Dokumentation
GmbH & Co. KG, Munich
www.detail.de

ISBN: 978-3-920034-94-2 (printed)

ISBN: 978-3-95553-145-4 (e-book)
ISBN: 978-3-95553-156-0 (bundle)
The authors and publishers would
like to thank the following sponsor for
his assistance with this publication:

Siemens Enterprise Communications

GmbH & Co. KG
D– Munich
www.siemens-enterprise.com