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Buro North's Tree-Like Wayfinding Signage Receives AGDA Award

By Jessica Charlesworth - October 26, 2010

in Object Culture

Buro North's wayfinding project at Falls Creek, Australia. Photo Credits: Daniel Columbo

A great wayfinding project from Australian-based multi-disciplinary design practice Büro North has recently been awarded an AGDA Distinction Award for their signage system at Falls Creek Ski Village in Australia.

This distinctive tree-like system has been designed to help visitors navigate the complex ski resort providing information in a wide variety of directions to suit the village layout and changing seasonal functions. Each modular component has been cast to withstand the freeze/thaw temperatures of the environment at Falls Creek and can be connected in such a way as to adapt to the changing snowfall and the restructuring of the resort.

What is particularly exciting about this system is the way it aims to promote the highest possible visibility of information whilst retaining the smallest presence of supporting structure. It visually makes its presence when needed whilst discreetly merging with its environment.

The design practice also has a great blog documenting the Fall Creek production process in particular close-up shots of the alloy modular components being cast at Mullholland Foundry.

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Jason

14 years ago

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Who made the signs.....?
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Christie

14 years ago

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I love it. Sexy signs, who'd have thought?
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Nick L

14 years ago

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Does it need to stack up in other places Ryan? If your lost in Falls Creek surely that's the only place the signs are relevant for? Context driven design is something architects are good at, and Industrial Designers (core77 audience) usually fail to understand.
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Ryan

14 years ago

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That second reviewer was being nice calling it art...I stumbled upon this article and I really wouldn't call it functional or art...might be good for Australia, but doesn't stack up in other places.
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Soren (Buro North)

14 years ago

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Basing your assessment on photos is quite a naive approach..

The sign in the image your viewing is 64mm high at low resolution (for web). That means the information your reading in the image is around 2.5mm at most (I'm not surprised its hard to read). In the real world (where we live), the sign is 4000mm high and the resolution is... well significantly better (human eyesight and resolution is another discussion).

The development that lead to the outcome, involved a comprehensive testing of real world and simulated site line tests, colour contrast ratio analysis, speed studies for pedestrians and skiers, weather condition tests, reflectivity testing and typographic studies among a host of other wayfinding measures to ensure the signs are in-fact legible in all conditions.

We appreciate your reference to the design as art, it is very pretty..
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Concerned Designer

14 years ago

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Very innovative in its design... a complete failure in its function.
This is award winning. I hope I don't win an award from them.

The photos which are taken from what appear to be expected viewing distances are not very legible. The signage is not readable, especially if you are in a moving vehicle or walking briskly.
Once again the design industry bites itself by giving an award to an aesthetic solution which completely fails in its functional purpose. Wake up designers.... design without function is only art.

Art is great ... but a whole other animal.
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Luke

14 years ago

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Wow that really pops in the landscape. Another clever design from Buro North.
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