2020
Placemarque has been on its journey for 20 years. Over that time we have clocked up some amazing experience:
Worked from six offices Visited over 400 towns and cities
Carried out over 100 site visits in the rain
Lost count of how many times we have had to explain ‘heads up’ mapping
Got lost on our way to several wayfinding meetings
Got lost on our way home from several wayfinding meetings
Undertaken too many public consultations
Have now developed an elevator pitch for what wayfinding is and isn’t
Worked with lots of interesting clients and consultants
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Our wayfinding is more than just the practical information of aiding navigation. We also try to tell a story. We invite you to share with us some of the highlights…
Project
12/20
2014
Year
Project
12/20
Year
2014
Isle of Man
We were commissioned by Manx National Heritage to design arrival signage for all built heritage sites across the Isle of Man. Including some wild and coastal locations, the design references the historical Manx cross detail as part of its structure while combining the ‘Three Legs of Man’ theme. The sign family is made up of distinctive forms, their unique shapes helping to unify the various sites.
Project
14/20
2015
Year
Project
12/20
Year
2014
Boston
In 2015, we reconnected the original Boston – a small market town – with its reason for being. A historic port along the river, connecting people and starting journeys, a maritime feel was always going to be a defining feature. The solution we developed updated existing fingerposts while introducing new mapping and interpretation monoliths. We wanted to reveal the town’s unique stories and encourage visitors to explore. Colours were chosen to reflect the waterside character, and we also included detailed interpretation stories to reveal the town’s rich heritage.
Project
16/20
2016
Year
Project
12/20
Year
2014
St Leonard’s on Sea
Our signage on this project complements the town’s striking modernist promenade with a fusion of seaside influence and references to Art Deco architecture. Influenced by the historic architecture along the seafront – including Marine Court, an iconic residential building – we incorporated colours of the ocean, seaside imagery, and a modern square shape to the signage.
Project
18/20
2018
Year
Project
12/20
Year
2014
Ireland’s Ancient East
Our largest outside the UK, this project was all about landscape and journeys. The iconic design responds directly to Ireland’s Ancient East’s brand and vision, taking references from the landscape to develop a distinctive form that invites users to engage with local attractions and orientate themselves. Introducing users to wider tourism, this project encourages a journey through storytelling, getting people to explore even further.
Project
20/20
2019
Year
Project
12/20
Year
2014
Devonshire Quarter
We were commissioned by Manx National Heritage to design arrival signage for all built heritage sites across the Isle of Man. Including some wild and coastal locations, the design references the historical Manx cross detail as part of its structure while combining the ‘Three Legs of Man’ theme. The sign family is made up of distinctive forms, their unique shapes helping to unify the various sites.
Project
05/20
2007
Year
Project
12/20
Year
2014
Cambridge
With this project, the often visited historic city needed connecting with its districts. We wanted to encourage people to walk or cycle rather than drive, resulting in a design that focused on locality. We connected character areas with shopping districts and reinforced the trails by identifying architectural features on the signs. We used warm-coloured vitreous enamel and ketton stone to match the local environment.
Project
08/20
2010
Year
Project
14/20
Year
2015
Bahrain Bay
Our work here was largely about encouraging pedestrian journeys. In an environment that’s so hot, this means wide, shaded promenades and public spaces. In our solution, we used smooth, curved forms and white marble to create wayfinding that blends in as opposed to appearing stuck on. Key to the success of this project was the implementation of easy to understand wayfinding and signage that reflects the development’s brand values and prestige using icons and dual languages.
Project
11/20
2014
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
North West Cambridge
Our signage on this project complements the town’s striking modernist promenade with a fusion of seaside influence and references to Art Deco architecture. Influenced by the historic architecture along the seafront – including Marine Court, an iconic residential building – we incorporated colours of the ocean, seaside imagery, and a modern square shape to the signage.
Project
02/20
2002
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Bristol Legible City
In Bristol, we were brought in to make an existing scheme simpler, easier, and more economical. With the strategy work already complete, we focused more on the materials and engineering. Adapting what was already established in the city centre and making it work for surrounding residential areas, we set out to maintain the wayfinding’s look and feel while making it so councils could afford to implement it.
Project
07/20
2008
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Derby
Drawing on Derby’s associations with railway heritage and Rolls Royce engineering, signage on this project took the shape of an aluminium extruded cog. Dynamic, shaped panels are fixed on to this to deliver the required navigational information. Using traditional on-street signage and digital information that’s delivered to users’ smartphones via QR code scanning, the scheme provides place-specific visitor navigation, orientation, and interpretation. Twelve years ago, no one even knew what a QR code was, highlighting the need to think and plan ahead in every project.
Project
13/20
2015
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Lancaster
A strapline of ‘small city, big story’ was the theme for this project. We developed the wayfinding as a four-sided treasure box that reveals local stories through colour, materials, and interpretive character. This is combined with clear navigational information. The signs are constructed from cast bronze frames, glass panels with reverse-applied graphics, and engraved stone base panels.
Project
17/20
2017
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Alderley Park
Bruntwood has the UK’s largest bioscience campus in 400 acres of historic parkland. In this instance, a brand had already been developed, so our job was to make it work for wayfinding. We used the scientific nature of the business park to inform the design of the wayfinding, from the small accent numbers on the floor level similar to that used in chemical formulas, to the stacking of squares as in the periodic table.
Project
19/20
2018
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Manchester Metropolitan University
Our role with Mcr Met is to reinforce the university’s presence in our local city as it undergoes a renaissance. It’s about reinforcing the relationship between the university and city centre. We’ve been appointed to deliver an engaging and consistent branding and wayfinding strategy that fits within a wider masterplan. The new strategy and guide will be rolled out across the campus over the next few years.
Project
06/20
2008
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
University College London
We’ve been working with UCL for 13 years now, making them one of our standout clients. A campus embedded in the city, our mission was to reinforce the university brand despite the campus’s soft, porous borders. Working with the university’s branding team and Historic England, we developed a solution to suit both historic and contemporary buildings, factoring in listed buildings and conservation area negotiations.
We are still working with UCL to this day, helping them deliver new signage for approximately 300 college buildings.
Project
04/20
2005
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Stratford-upon-avon
As the birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford already had a strong draw. But with this project, we wanted to highlight everything else there was to see. Wanting to avoid being cliché and twee, we developed a logo and brand that nods to Shakespeare’s story while still being contemporary. It relates to the existing architecture instead of being just catalogue heritage. We took inspiration from the black and white buildings, forming a colour palette that brings cohesion to the environment.
Project
09/20
2013
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Oxford
Oxford is famous for its signature views and ‘dreaming spires’. Our key approach for this project was using framed views of architectural detail to create a connection between the sign and its environment. The sign frames are cast in bronze to complement the warm stone colour of the city’s buildings, while the mapping simplifies street layouts to a schematic grid, highlighting pedestrian routes and public realm. Interpretation information accompanies navigation guidance on all signs and can also be delivered to users’ smartphones.
Project
10/20
2014
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Harrogate
An architecturally strong spa town that needed to show there was more to it than busy tea rooms. The sign family for this project consisted of monoliths, wall-mounted signs, and fingerposts that all incorporate a stylised version of Harrogate’s unique skyline as an identifying feature. The scheme also featured digital interpretation through a mobile website, encouraging people to explore locally.
Project
15/20
2016
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Leicester
A modern, multicultural city centre with over 2,000 years of history, our goal was to create a sense of place for Leicester’s centre. Encouraging visitors to explore the wider area and making it easier to navigate, we wanted to make this modern city feel more walkable. Our signage celebrates landmarks and the detail of the city through full-length photographic backgrounds that are complemented by maps and directional content. The signs identify key spaces and city quarters, reinforcing a brand identity through the use of Leicester’s cinquefoil graphic.
Project
01/20
2000
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
Greenwich
This was our first wayfinding project and kicked off the entire Placemarque journey, marking a new millennium and discipline. For this project, the maritime history and meridian line served as the defining elements. All about navigation, the final product took the form of a split ship’s wheel ring finial, lining up with an embedded stainless steel strip aligned north to south on each post.
Project
03/20
2004
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
City of London
This first large-scale project was groundbreaking in our use of heads up mapping. Instead of drawing the city of London with the river below and the city above, we needed to reorientate the map and situate the river where it actually was for the user. This project set out to make the city more manageable, breaking it down into districts and highlighting the walkability. The final products’ bases also used a fossil stone engraved with the city crest to allude to its history..
Project
03/20
2004
Year
Project
16/20
Year
2016
University College London
We’ve been working with UCL for 13 years now, making them one of our standout clients. A campus embedded in the city, our mission was to reinforce the university brand despite the campus’s soft, porous borders. Working with the university’s branding team and Historic England, we developed a solution to suit both historic and contemporary buildings, factoring in listed buildings and conservation area negotiations.
We are still working with UCL to this day, helping them deliver new signage for approximately 300 college buildings.