2005

French Film Archive, Paris

It seemed impossible to imagine adding any signage to what was to become the entrance hall of the Cinémathèque Française. Nevertheless, a significant signage intervention was necessary: the building, designed for a different purpose, proved difficult to interpret in the context of the Cinémathèque’s activities. The signage therefore had to simultaneously welcome visitors, make them feel as though they were entering a temple of cinema, present them with the full range of activities on offer, guide them to the various cultural spaces, and indicate the locations of ancillary facilities.
This is the challenge we sought to meet by proposing a wayfinding system for this building based on moving images. The proposed signature evokes both the non-rectangular sections of Frank Gehry’s building’s facades and the world of cinema, notably the projection screen. The logotype can take various forms. It is constructed from a wide range of screen formats and can transition from a signature to a full-format iconographic frame. While this identification system is used across all informational materials, it will also be featured on the building itself. A passerby walking down Rue de Bercy at dusk is drawn in by these projections, which guide them to the building’s park-side entrance. On the windows of the three main facades, a chronophotograph of a man walking confirms the direction of the entrance. In the entrance hall, one is immersed in a cinematic atmosphere. The directory of activities positioned behind the reception desk is animated. This description in words and images extends beyond the first front wall, turning toward the side spaces and gradually leading toward the various entrances that are difficult to spot. Other illuminated surfaces then take over to confirm the direction in which one is heading. Design

team — Ruedi Baur, Olivier Duzelier, Toan Vu-Huu, Stéphanie Brabant Animated
images — Jangled Nerves, Thomas Hundt, and Vadim Bernard
Architect — Frank Gehry