Project Overview
Barangaroo is the largest and most high profile development in Sydney in over a century. Standing at the heart of Barangaroo’s commercial precinct are three iconic high-rise towers, the International Towers Sydney (ITS) designed by internationally acclaimed architects – Lord Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
As a development, ITS has enhanced Sydney’s position as a major centre for global finance and professional services. The development has been benchmarked against similar developments in New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. The three towers comprising ITS showcase the latest thinking in workplace design, sustainability and commerical architecture, proven by Barangaroo's recent unanimous 'Development of the Year' award.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Design Director: Carlo Giannasca,
Design Manager & Strategy: Adam Longo
Senior Designer: Henry Ellis-Paul
Architect; Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Interior Designers: Woods Bagot
Signage Manufacturer: Signcraft, Artee Signs
Project Brief
To strengthen and drive the architectural intent and vision for ITS, Lendlease needed a world class, premium strategic signage solution that could be implemented in all three landmark towers that would both provide effective identification for each tower, but also Barnagaroo South into a consistent branded experience for the user . We were tasked with designing sign forms and entry experiences that complemented the interiors designed by Woods Bagot. Challenges included the complexity of the different levels, security turnstiles, hierarchy of users and the multiple circulation paths within and between the towers. The brief required a celebration of the architecture and an encapsulation of the ITS brand through signage that was clear, effective and provided a world-class experience for workers, visitors, residents and the dense varied users of Barangaroo.
Project Innovation/Need
The strategy was about integration and enhancing both the design intent of the interiors and of the building itself. This is evident in the forms, material choices, positioning and typography that were applied.
Round curves of the signs were taken from the curvaceous nature of the building form and purposely and precisely matched the scaled curve of the building. We also created a personalized font for use on the signforms derived from the curvature of the building’s floor plate. Signage material drew upon the materiality and colours of the accompanying interior spaces, while signage was both positioned and sized to carefully align and support the spaces, aligning with panel joins, floor tiles and other elements to create a seamless integrated experience.
Positioning ignforms had to successfully service wayfinding for multiple user groups with multiple access hierarchies in complicated areas such as the lifts and other core situations where large numbers of people would be moving through at all times of the day.
Design Challenge
In combination with the entry experience areas of the lobby and basement lift lobbies, the team individually designed each of the numerous statutory and basebuilding signforms, ensuring that the branding and premium quality of the building continued up into the tower. Additionally, signforms located in back of house areas, received the same careful and considered design to ensure all elements were consistent. This resulted in the design of hundreds of door and regulatory signs in order to ensure that the ITS experience was consistent throughout the entire journey through the towers.
Sustainability
The result is a seamless and sophisticated signage system camouflaged by stunning design simplicity that permits the user to navigate the space with ease. The layered approach where information is presented to the user upon entry and filtered down to them as they move through the space is unique and highly effective.
The team has cleverly and strategically used cues from the architecture to direct the form, materials, graphics and positioning. The signage system does not look like an after thought or a separate scheme. To the contrary, the architecture and signage integrate harmoniously.
Wayfinding
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the ways people orient themselves in physical space, and navigate from place to place. Consideration given to signage and other graphic communication, clues in the building's spatial grammar, logical space planning, audible communication, tactile elements and provision for special-needs users.
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