2012
Vienna International Airport, Austria
Given the sheer scale of this infrastructure, the signage presents a twofold challenge: balancing highly complex engineering with design considerations and the desired atmosphere. The following design choices were developed: creating a distinctive visual language based on the “Fedra Sans” typeface designed by Peter Bilak, chosen for both aesthetic and functional reasons; developing an exclusive system of pictograms; design signage elements in close harmony with the site’s architecture, conveying a sense of lightness and fluidity, like an airplane taking flight; and account for and graphically integrate the entire information chain (directional and identification signage, information points, dynamic displays, site maps, regulatory signage, etc.). Beyond simple signage, a number of iconic locations have been highlighted. Along a giant wall measuring some fifty meters, for example, the flight path of approaching aircraft is rendered through luminous LED typography that “lands” with the respective plane upon touchdown. Finally, a dialogue emerges between the signage and the artistic installations created by Susanna Fritscher, whose subtle work with gradients and the interplay of transparency and translucency illustrates this fundamental pursuit of an atmosphere of lightness.
Design Team — Ruedi Baur, Simon Burkart, Eva Kubinyi, Christina Poth, Axel Steinberger Artistic
Contributions — Susanna Fritscher
Collaboration with Jangled Nerves
Architects — P.ARC - Itten Brechtbühl Baumschlager Eberle