Following on from earlier phases of work at Circle Square, including the internal signage for No. 1 & 2, we’ve more recently been working to design the gateway and wayfinding signage for Manchester’s most intriguing neighbourhood.
The gateway signage needed to demarcate clearly the entrance points into Circle Square and, being located within Manchester’s innovation district, the scheme by Vita Group and Bruntwood SciTech needed to have a distinct and innovative concept.
The challenge here was to come up with a design that incorporated the already established Circle Square identity with Bruntwood’s SciTech branding. To do this, we took inspiration from the monochromatic and robust signage at Alderley Park; a key location for science and research accommodation.
Tom Cookson, Placemarque’s 3D Designer, said:
Because of its mixed-use nature, Circle Square is host to many varied destinations and users visiting the site on a daily basis.
Our task was to help people navigate the site easily, whilst also communicating a clear sense of the personality of the district.
We reflected the use of Corten within the street furniture into the sign design and engraved a subtle Circle Square logo into the base of the four sided, illuminated totems.
The end result is an industrial, bold look which reflects the architectural style of the space.
As always, after the months of work that go into projects like this, it’s such a thrill to see our designs come to fruition.
