Gubei Tower Aluminum Illuminated Signage

Project:

Gubei Tower

Client:

Gubei Group

Industry:

Retail & Malls

Location:

Shanghai, China

Completion Year:

2008

Project Overview

Scope:

Outdoor building illuminated signs, indoor&outdoor signage system, basement coating signage system

Role:

System Engineering & Detailed Design · Manufacturing · Installation

Material:

Brushed stainless steel, tempered glass, 3M light blocking film

Project Scale:

Gubei Tower is the phase 1 office building of the Gubei Group. Architectural areas is about 40000 square meters, consisted of 15 floors of upperground office area and 5 floors of podium commercial space.

>> Application Environment

This project's signage system application covers building exterior signage, outdoor advertising light box, wayfinding system, indoor wayfinding signage and scenarios like basement parking lot wayfinding system. The outdoor building illuminated signages have to deal with Shanghai's complex weather, such as high-temperature and high-humidity during summer, typhoon weather and low temperature in winter. It ensures visual effect and structural safety under any weather.

>> CHALLENGE

"Visual perfectionism" of Japanese designing aesthetics: The buildings were designed by Japan's Kume Sekkei Co., Ltd.. It pursues extreme simplification and subtle contemporary charm. Signage, as the "spatial visual noise", must be extremely restrained. This poses extreme hidden requirements for signage's material, font as well as color.

"Perception gap" among international customers: Gubei is Shanghai's knowned "mini United Nation", and is inhabited by massive amount of Japanese-funded and multinational enterprises. Signage system not only has to be in compliance with Chinese standards, it also requires in-depth adaptation to the Japanese language and globally recognized graphical symbol systems. This ensures foreign executives and visitors can accomplish visual interpretation when there is a language barrier, therefore achieving barrier-free wayfinding navigation.

>> SOLUTION

This style of customized and recessed design reduce sense of attachment. Using matte black and dark gray with sans-serif fonts, the design visually recedes into the environment. 

Trilingual system + prioritizing symbols: Establishing Chinese, English and Japanese trilingual signage standard, and following principle of "graphic> text". For instance, key nodes such as restrooms, elevators and exits will prioritize using ISO standard pictogram while texts are only auxiliary. This allows signages to fully serve for environment and functions.

>> IMPACT

Defined signage standard of "foreign-related complex": The Gubei Group has successfully proved that signage system isn't just a tool, but more of a manifestation of service soft power. Its multilingual, highly concealed design, later becomes the template for foreign-funded headquarters building in areas around Shanghai Hongqiao and Qiantan.

Design philosophy of "de-signage": Gubei Tower signage displayed another way of success: the best signages are the ones that clients could hardly notice. Through close integration with the environment, it has achieved "unobtrusive guidance", which provides an example of "less is more" for signage design of premium commercial office projects.

Long-term operational value: Due to application of highly durable material and modular structure, this system has sustained an exceptional level of recognizability and quality among the decades since its completion from 2012. This proves that premium investment in early stage can effectively lower the maintenance cost and visual aging rate in later stage among the luxury assets.

From Design to Delivery

DIKA SIGN manages every stage of the project with clear responsibility and cost control.

Delivering reliable results through optimized manufacturing processes and disciplined on-site execution.