Client: Shenzhen Manjinhua Group
Completion: 2018

The iADC is a large mixed-use development in Shenzhen, China. The development combines an art museum, an art mall, an artists’ village, a SOHO centre, and a boutique hotel, to form a comprehensive art community. Our submission is for the overall external signage of the development and the internal signage of the art and design museum.

The project’s brand revolved around space and connectivity, and the architects used angular cut shapes and folding structures to reflect the brand concept. We took these fundamental elements and ideas to develop the concept of our signage.

In the external areas we wanted to suggest ‘change-through-motion’, and to reinforce the concept of connectivity between people, art, and activity. Thus we took inspiration from the asymmetrical box of the logo, constructing our signs from irregular angular planes, thus creating a series of pillars of different cuts and angles to present different message contents. The asymmetrical forms suggested dynamic motion, whilst the irregular angled planes suggested a conversation from one pillar to the next.

Internally we reversed the concept to suggest convergence and inclusivity, using continuous outlines from the walls to frame signage contents, to highlight messages and provide the conduit from the reader to the building.

All signs were kept to minimum black and white design with simple, modern typography so as not to conflict with the exhibits.