The team explored and researched the city and created vision and goals for this revitalization project in the downtown plaza of Solingen.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest indoor theme park and the first and only Ferrari themed park recently opened in November 2010. Located on Yas Island, only a few kilometres from Abu Dhabi city centre, the site hosted the UAE’s first Grand Prix at the Yas Island Marina Circuit in November 2009.

RSM was thrilled to be part of such a unique project. RSM’s passionate team of Ferrari enthusiasts completed the theme park’s identity signs, entry sequence, exterior wayfinding program, facility signage, and structured car park graphics.

In addition to being the world’s largest indoor theme park, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has quite an impressive stack of statistics:

• The 86,000-square-metre enclosed area of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi can fit seven football fields in ‘head to toe’.

• The Ferrari logo on the roof, the largest ever created, measures 65-metres in length and covers an area of 3,000-square-metres, which could fit at least seven basketball courts.

• The volume of concrete in Hoover Dam could fit inside Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

• Ferrari World Abu Dhabi needed 12,370 tons of steel to create its structure; the Eiffel Tower only needed 7,000 tons.

• Ferrari World Abu Dhabi features restaurants staffed by four Michelin-starred Italian chefs.

The South Berkeley Public Library is quite a unique environment – there aren’t too many places one can check out Jane Austen and a jackhammer in the same location. RSM is excited to be designing the wayfinding and identity program for this public library.  Tools from the lending library are used both literally and figuratively to create a whimsical yet functional approach to the sign family. Ladders, hammers, and Pride and Prejudice – all in one location.

RSM principals Harry Mark and Martin Schwartz have just returned from a two week trip to China, having visited six cities and meeting on five exciting on going graphics projects.  The meetings consisted of project presentations, coordination meetings, signage mock-up reviews, and marketing meetings, along with a bit of free time to take in the exciting sites of China.

Nanjing Taiwan Trade Mart: Construction of the project is progressing at super sonic speeds, with opening scheduled for mid September 2010. Harry and Martin were on site to review signage mock-ups and coordinate with the local sign fabricator to ensure the design intent is carried through all of the details of this comprehensive identity and wayfinding program.

Yantai One: Concept design presentations of the branding, logo, and wayfinding family were enthusiastically received by the group of stakeholders in this dynamic growing city in northern China.  Coordination with a local sign fabricator at this early stage was arranged to facilitate a seamless integration of the graphics with the architecture and marketing initiatives.

One City: The city of Ma’an Shan in central China is the site for this family focused urban retail and entertainment center.  The RSM designed graphics family was carefully crafted to work well within tight budget constraints and unique cultural and language parameters.

Check back soon for more project updates from China….

Working with the City of Rancho Cucamonga, RSM is enhancing the existing cultural plaza and public parking experience by designing a fun and energetic graphics program to engage the visitor and bring them to the many amenities of this Cultural Center – the events plaza, public library, theater, and conference facility.

The team at RSM designed a concept wayfinding program using over scaled silhouettes of local citizens becomes a fun way to engage the local community.  The designs serve many purposes:  sculptural elements are added to enliven the plaza, functional wayfinding to guide the visitor to the many uses, and a fund raising opportunity to have local citizens donate for the chance to be a part of this unique enhancement.

As the  architectural graphics consultant for the Lake Nona community, RSM has orchestrated the design and followed the implementation of the signs for an area the size of Manhattan. The relationship with this growing community began with RSM’s development of the signage and graphics master plan guidelines for the entire region, meeting with focus groups to develop the consistent guidelines for existing facilities and neighborhoods and future growth areas. Signage designs and guidelines were developed for such diverse and adjacent developments as residential communities, a science and tech park, commercial town centers, a light industrial area, along with a world renowned golf and country club estate community. 

The signage around Orlando’s Medical City is a part of this Lake Nona community and includes such noteworthy facilities as the Burnham Institute, Veteran’s Hospital, University of Central Florida Biomedical Campus, and The MD Anderson Cancer Research Institute.

The goal was to take the best of the existing site and make it more engaging with greater depth of quality and information. Improvements include the featuring of the most recently completed projects, the abilitiy to select portfolio galleries by project category, and descriptive listings of the studio’s services and offerings. Not to be forgotten are glimpses of the energetic team and principals, and the ability to dive into their minds and daily lives by viewing the philosophy, and process as they continue to progress and create bigger and better ideas and designs.

So kick back and surf the site at: www.rsmdesign.net

Love to hear your thoughts!

Working with the City of Southlake, Texas and coordinating with TexDOT standards, full size mock-ups were created for onsite review. Using digital prints on plywood to confirm the scale of messages and signs, the team went through the area to find the best locations for each sign to ensure visibility and clarity. The mock-ups brought together the community and council members collective vision for the city’s branded wayfinding.

Make sure to check out our other post “City of Southlake Selects RSM Design” to see the initial concepts of the city signage package and check back soon for more updates.

The inspiration of airplane propellors, wings, and rutters, as well as the twists and turns of the wayfinding signage forms create a seamless sense of place and an experience for everyone who visits this exciting shopping destination. 

Congratulations to Sonae Sierra and the rest of the team on another successful project!

RSM Design is excited to announce the completion of our environmental graphic design work for the first phase of development at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem located in eastern Pennsylvania.

The Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem complex is woven into the existing fabric of the de-commissioned Bethlehem Steel plant. It is one of the most dramatic and largest industrial sites on the United States’ east coast. The steel plant operated for over 100 years and manufactured steel for such notable structures such as the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, U.S. Supreme Court Building and the Golden Gate Bridge and many others before being decommissioned in 2001. It is great to see this area begin a new chapter in its development, and one that successfully bridges historic preservation and new growth.

RSM Design’s branding and environmental graphics approach was to abstractly reference the industrial heritage of the site while combining it with a contemporary feeling set to create a thriving resort destination for a cutting-edge audience. The sign designs drew their inspiration from the site’s authentic industrial wayfinding, existing structures and historic artifacts that are then complimented with fresh and modern designs. The steel production process is referenced in the graphics with the use of unique materials and colors used which can be seen in the dotted arrows, use of steel and warm colors which can be seen in items such as the directionals and project materials, and layered abstract industrial patterns used to brand and define the project’s unique zones.

RSM Design is pleased to be a part of the revival of the Bethlehem community’s pride in their history with the recent opening of the Sands casino. We look forward to the second phase of development with the opening of the hotel, events center and retail mall.