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A Sign of Academia |
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Important project details |
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Urbdesigner was chosen to develop the concept and develop a final design. Construction in India required international consultation and teamwork between the studio, the sponsor in Texas, and the fabrication team in Madras. Approach The traditional visual interpretation of DNA is the twirling double helix and its component repeating letters. After completing prototypes using double-helix and the more contemporary DNA gel sequence, the latter was chosen. The color gradient on the built sign reflect both the building's blue curtain wall and the gel's patterns. The top of the sign has lighter colored panels to suggest the sky, while the darker lower panels provide a solid blue background for white letters. The sign's raised white lettering piles upon itself in a mass on the bottom right of the field of panels. Each was crafted by Indian artisans following Urbdesigner's instruction. Each is affixed by a small connector one centimeter above a dark blue metal panel, so as to appear to be floating. Positioning The sign is positioned immediately next to a ramp, so as pedestrians approach, the surface of the sign appears to break into pieces as both panels and letters cast shadows upon on another. Read horizontally, the letters read out the school's name. Considered vertically, the piling effect stacks the letters so they evoke DNA's random lettering. Installation As fabrication was begun on site in India, the studio was on call via internet and conference calls, dealing with construction issues day-to-day, until installation was complete. With the sign's unveiling the new university building was open - ready to teach a new generation of bioscience students. |
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  Sign evokes DNA gel pattern to reference bioscience focus |
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| Recent Signs > University Sign |
Colors coordinated with building's exterior finish |
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| Local wildlife mandated the sign be monkey-proof |
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| 385 metal panels overlap to assemble the DNA gel image |
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| Up close, the overlapping panels reveal shadowed texture |
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Inspiration: DNA Protein Gel |
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Design: Early overlay studies
Design: Mock-up prototype
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