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| VA Medical Center - Cleveland, Ohio |
| By Peter Van Allen, SEGD |
| The challenge presented at the Wade Park campus was to design a new exterior signage system reflecting the stunning new architecture of the outpatient addition. The senior Interior Designer, Michael McCallian requested design components that were "not the same old look". The old Veterans Affairs signage dictates were based on conservative squares and rectangles with Helvetica Medium typography·usually executed with 313 duranodic bronze (brown) backgrounds. Everyone agreed that it was time for a radical change at this re-designed and comtemporary campus. |
| The new architecture is light and curvilinear with graceful bends. It displays a contemporary coloring of teal greens, grays and silvers. After completing our usual photo-essay of the grounds and building architecture, we came up with four design themes that were presented to the VA signage committee - including the Medical Center Director. The design scheme that was ultimately chosen featured a curved silver "cap" mounted on a two-color pylon box which itself was mounted above two smaller modules. |
| The three colors - gray, silver and teal green-were painted using acrylic polyurethane catalytic paint forming a distinct swoosh that runs counter to the curve established by the cap. The swoosh continues down onto the two modular units below the main body of the sign. |
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| Specified typography is Futura - both a regular book face and a medium version are used as is Futura Heavy in certain instances. The overall impression is sleek and contemporary. Double and single post and panel signs are also part of the system. Key sign locations are internally illuminated. All exterior components are manufactured using aluminum extrusion and are mounted in concrete footings that rise above ground to become plinths. This gives them heightened viewing prominence and serves to protect the signs from lawn equipment. |
| Additional signage work at Louis Stokes includes changeable interior components that Creative supplies in incremental lots based on continued renovation. A major benefit to most of these new signs include ID inserts that can be changed in-house on standard desk-top PC's using our newest software package. |
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| Creative's custom framed art work is also part of the overall corridor improvement process for both Wade Park and the various community based outpatient clinics (CBOC). Contempory prints and photographs have been matted and framed in natural and stained cherry to compliment existing wood finishes and accent palettes. Rural and urban landscapes, still lifeÊs and some nonobjective themes were hand-selected by Judith Fai, ID VA and our own art consultant, Sylvia Dante. |
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