Sign Builder Illustrated - May 2008 - (Page 29)

of the distinctive design feature [the ceramic rods] of the building and made them an important element of the sign,” comments Thurm. “In the end, this sign was a unique solution that fit with the surrounding neighborhood and yet maintained the look and feel of the building’s design.” But Pentagram’s involvement didn’t just end with the exterior sign; The Times Company also hired the design firm to complete the artwork throughout the remainder of its building as well. This included nearly 750 interior signs that combined room names with images from The Times’ photo archive, with a different image for each room selected to complement the room’s function. “One conference room, for instance, might have pictures of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin [meeting] at Yalta, and another might have [legendary New York Yankees Manager] Casey Stengel arguing with an umpire,” says Thurm. “The photographs firmly connect the space with The Times, as well as offer a whimsical and personal touch missing in most corporate offices.” (Note: According to Thurm, another reason Pentagram was selected to provide all the exterior and interior signage—as well as design the building’s Web site, create the marketing materials to support the leasing of any available floors, develop an identity for the building’s state-of-the-art auditorium, and update stationery and business cards—was that “Pentagram’s team was very familiar with the goals we wanted to achieve with the building’s design.”) Read All About It: The Opinion Page! Thurm indicates that The New York Times Company has heard plenty of positive comments about this innovative sign. “It’s an unusual sign, but by imitating the masthead of The New York Times newspaper, it maintains a sense of our company’s history. “One of our goals for this building was to reflect the values of the Times and make a meaningful contribution to New York City. We feel that this sign, like the building itself, offers a unique addition to the city’s architecture.” The end-result is a classy example of identity signage that managed to meet all deadlines and give new meaning to the term “power of the press.” b May 2008 Sign Builder Illustrated 29 http://www.signletters.com http://www.signletters.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sign Builder Illustrated - May 2008

Sign Builder Illustrated - May 2008 Contents SBI Agenda Quotes & Comments Contributors Costly Concerns Dispatches Sign Show Dateline: Time to Find a New Identity Teaching a New Dog Old Tricks Sign Illumination: It’s Time to Pay Attention Restoring Old Photographs for Digital Printing Price Doesn’t Sell the Signs You Want to Make Architects in LED Codes for Electric Signs: Don’t Get Blindsided! Digital Displays at the Pearl Harbor Museum The Art of Wayfinding Signage Grand Format National Following Traffic Sign Regulations Designs on ADA Signage Painting Professionally SBI Marketplace Imagine-It Graphics

Sign Builder Illustrated - May 2008

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