Silver A' Design Award Winner 2022
Beginning a systematic description of this photograph showing an outdoor wayfinding sign positioned within a landscaped plaza before a large contemporary building, scanning from left to right across the composition, dominating the left foreground stands a tall rectangular stone-like pillar approximately four times taller than it is wide, this directional monument features a surface resembling polished concrete or terrazzo in a cool medium grey tone, like weathered limestone or morning fog, at the upper portion of this pillar a large capital letter P is carved into the surface with a three-dimensional relief effect creating subtle shadows, below the P sits a rightward-pointing arrow also incised into the stone surface, and at the bottom portion appear smaller carved characters indicating organizational identification, surrounding the base of this sign element grows a neatly trimmed hedge of deep green boxwood creating a soft border approximately knee-height, the texture appearing dense and slightly fuzzy like velvet, moving rightward the middle ground reveals an expansive paved plaza surface in pale grey tones stretching toward the building, the pavement appears smooth and hard underfoot like polished stone or concrete, in the right portion and background rises the main architectural structure featuring bold horizontal projecting volumes cantilevered outward creating dramatic overhangs, the building exhibits a consistent cool grey concrete finish with extensive dark glass window bands, cylindrical concrete columns support portions of the structure adding vertical rhythm, the overall building form suggests a sense of forward movement and contemporary sophistication, the sky above appears softly overcast in pale grey-white tones suggesting cool diffused daylight without harsh shadows, the atmosphere feels calm and still like a quiet morning, scattered deciduous trees with bare winter branches appear at left adding organic vertical elements against the geometric architecture, the overall scene conveys a sense of ordered tranquility and purposeful design integration
Corbusier architectural language is well extracted and expressed in the wayfinding-sign design in this project. In general, the whole rough bold appearance is featured by exaggerated crude concrete components and exposed unfinished structures and facilities; in detail, cool shadows of heavy metal materials produce artistic 3D visual effects, conveying a powerful sense of minimalism.