since 2017

Cambridge School, Bucharest

The Cambridge School of Bucharest is a private school offering an English-language education—while fostering multilingualism—from preschool through high school. A dual and complementary signage system was proposed for this project: the first addresses the standard needs of wayfinding and identification, while the second, of an educational nature, will identify spaces through their visual atmosphere and reflect the different grade levels taught. — An “educational” format was chosen for the basic module of the signage elements. The Fibonacci sequence is a sequence of integers in which each term is the sum of the two preceding terms. This sequence is closely linked to the golden ratio. The golden ratio is established as an aesthetic theory and justified by mystical arguments, serving as a key—even an explanatory one—in understanding the structures of the physical world, particularly regarding criteria of beauty and, above all, harmony; its presence is thus claimed in the natural and life sciences, the proportions of the human body, and in the arts such as painting, architecture, or music. The basic module thus created allows for particularly elegant vertical and horizontal arrangements. Other arrangements can form surfaces with broader expressive possibilities. — To simplify the signage, it was proposed to name the various buildings after writers and authors associated with the different languages taught. For exterior signage, the colors of the signs are inspired by the autumn foliage of the nearby forest; indoors, they blend into the architecture. The educational signage will provide natural identification and wayfinding. Its various movable panels can also serve as teaching aids. A style guide for the illustrations is currently being developed. 

Design Team — Ruedi and Vera Baur, Chantal Grossen, David Thoumazeau