The iconic Renold Building was the main teaching hub for the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).  

A notable example of 20^th century, it was the first purpose-built teaching facility in the UK, consolidating lecture theatres and seminar rooms within a single structure. But for such an iconic building, known for its architecture, it was important that our signage didn’t detract from the building itself, and was carefully designed to fit the aesthetic and also align with the project's important environmental credentials.

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Working in collaboration with Bruntwood Sci-Tech and branding agency Pentagram, we translated the visual brand to a signage concept, incorporating additional icons and setting out wayfinding principles to ensure the brand typeface was legible across a range of sign types, viewing heights and distances.

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We used individual panels to create a “light-touch”, unobtrusive look to allow for easy updates in the future and as the campus develops. To align with the whole approach to the building’s refurbishment, our signage concept uses 100% recycled and recyclable materials throughout. After testing early concepts on wood, we ultimately landed on the use of 100% recycled acrylic to align with the monochromatic visual brand.