|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For more information, please contact:
Sandy Kaiser
t: 314.361.3110
e: skaiser@kikuobata.com
KIKU OBATA & COMPANY WINS AWARDS IN ST. LOUIS AIGA COMPETITION
April 16, 2007, St. Louis, MO – Kiku Obata & Company’s work has won several awards in the AIGA/St. Louis 12 Show. Ciélla, a fashionable women’s shoe store designed for Bakers Footwear, was named a “Winners Circle” award recipient, honoring the best work in the show. Busch Stadium signage and graphics, and the Pin-Up Bowl, a bowling alley and martini lounge in The Legends, Kansas City, KS both won awards in the Environmental Graphic Design Category. The AIGA awards honor excellence in both creative and technical achievements in graphic design. All award-winning entries will be part of the AIGA St. Louis Local Chapter Archives Web Site (www.stlouis.aiga.org), with plans to launch this summer.
###
KIKU OBATA & COMPANY DESIGNS “GREEN” SIGNAGE PROGRAM
Firm develops sustainable signage and wayfinding for Exelon’s
new corporate headquarters.
March 23, 2007, St. Louis, MO – Energy is life. Long a source of strength and power, and symbolic of positive reaction, energy sustains us. Energy and sustainability are the inspiration behind a signage and wayfinding program designed by Kiku Obata & Company for the new corporate headquarters of Exelon, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities.
Exelon recently reorganized their corporate headquarters to ten contiguous floors within the Chase Tower in downtown Chicago and applied sustainable approaches to the design to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC). To support Exelon’s commitment to sustainable design, and communicate the power behind the Exelon brand, Kiku Obata & Company designed signage and wayfinding that utilized both recycled or recyclable materials and environmentally responsible fabrication techniques. Additionally, the design team completed the project–from concept to supervising installation of over 1,500 signs–within six months.
The signs feature a wave background pattern to simulate energy and power with colored-coded disks to aid in navigation. The design team had the pattern digitally printed on aluminum, a recycled product, using a water-based, ink-jet process that is environmentally friendly.
In addition to the corridor directionals, employee/room identification, and corporate identification signage, the team designed LEED fact panels that describe specific sustainable design, construction and operational components of the new workplace.” These fact panels are displayed in each of the cafés and are removable so they can be exchanged from floor to floor to give all the employees and visitors the opportunity to learn more about sustainable design,” explains Amy Knopf, designer.
This project has recently received Platinum LEED CI certification and is now the largest Platinum LEED CI project in the nation.
###
KIKU OBATA & COMPANY EARNS PLATINUM AWARD FOR
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL POSTER DESIGN
Firm also receives seven awards of merit
January 25, 2007, St. Louis, MO – Kiku Obata & Company has recently won a Platinum/Best of Category Award and seven Awards of Merit in the Creativity 36 Annual competition. The Creativity Awards competition honors outstanding work by creative professionals in every discipline. The winners will be featured in the Creativity Annual to be published in summer 2007.
The Julius Caesar Poster design for the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis won the Platinum Award in the posters, single unit category.
The projects that earned an Award of Merit include:
###
KIKU OBATA & COMPANY DESIGNS NEW BRAND AND STORE
FOR BAKERS FOOTWEAR GROUP
Ciélla celebrates women with a store designed just for them.
September 19, 2006, St. Louis, MO – At Ciélla, footwear adorns and high fashion is born. The new shoe store brand by Bakers Footwear Group, designed by Kiku Obata & Company, celebrates the modern woman and her love affair with footwear!
Step inside Ciélla and enter an eclectic space of lavish European ambience that offers the intimacy and glamour of a woman’s personal “dream closet.” The store highlights the drama and color of shoes. Modern and artful furniture and accessories give the space a personalized, feminine touch. Large, colorful murals above the banquette seating celebrate the multiple facets of a woman’s life such as motherhood, femininity, beauty, and warmth. Shoes are merchandised at the front of the store while a “seating salon” at the rear of the store invites conversation while the customer is pampered by the staff.
Ciélla celebrates women with a special store made just for them. It gives them the freedom to express their personal style in an atmosphere that celebrates shoes as an indulgence. “Ciélla gives women what they want when they’re shopping for their new favorite pair of shoes,” says Kiku Obata. “It gives them a place that is inviting and comfortable with stylish footwear and exceptional service.”
Kiku Obata & Company worked closely with Bakers Footwear Group to create and develop the Ciélla name and brand. “We wanted a woman’s name that sounded European. Ciélla is a fictitious name inspired by the word “sky” in Italian and Spanish,” said Paul Scherfling, designer for Kiku Obata & Company.
The design team began by investigating the industry, market and competitors then gathered images, colors, materials and patterns to fully understand and communicate the essence of the brand. “We developed a clear, original and articulated idea that informs all aspects of the overall design,” explained Obata. “The end result is a place women will love to be.”
The first Ciélla store opened in September in Kansas City, Kansas, and two others have since opened in New Jersey.
###
KIKU OBATA & COMPANY DEVELOPES DYNAMIC BRAND
EXPERIENCE FOR BUSCH STADIUM
April 5, 2006, St. Louis, MO – On Opening Day April 10th, the greatest fans in baseball will get to experience the new Busch Stadium first hand. They will marvel at the spectacular presence and thoughtful genuineness of this new world-class ballpark and feel total immersion in the game. They will sense the presence of Cardinal’s history and heroes, and be amazed by the multitude of memories to come. This dynamic and electrifying fan experience is at the core of the stadium’s overall brand strategy and experience developed by Kiku Obata & Company. The firm worked with HOK + SVE and Cardinals Design Team, lead by Bill DeWitt III, to ensure a cohesive look and image for the new Busch Stadium. “As a St. Louis firm, we truly understand what this new ballpark means for the fans, the team, the owners and the City,” says Kiku Obata, President, “We are honored to help the St. Louis Cardinals, who enjoy one of the best relationships with their fans in sports, exceed everyone’s expectations.”
The firm works by investigating the history, stories, legends, images, colors, materials and patterns to fully understand the essence of the team and the fans. “We develop a clear, original and articulated idea that informs all aspects of the overall design,” explains Obata.
In addition to developing the overall brand strategy and experience for the stadium, Kiku Obata & Company designed a comprehensive signage, graphics and wayfinding program, sponsorship program, and the Cardinals Team retail stores.
One of the key brand elements of the stadium is the exposed metal work. Kiku Obata & Company recommended painting all the exposed metal black to both reflect the character of St. Louis’ monumental steel structures such as Eads Bridge and to differentiate Busch Stadium from other new ballparks. The outcome is a signature architectural element unique to Busch Stadium, St. Louis and The Cardinals.
###
BUSCH STADIUM IS ENHANCED BY GRAPHICS AND SIGNAGE
DESIGNED BY KIKU OBATA & COMPANY
April 5, 2006. St. Louis, MO – When the project team began working on the new Busch Stadium, creating a spectacular ballpark experience was at the forefront of all aspects of the design including the environmental graphics by Kiku Obata & Company. The St. Louis firm utilized its expertise in making places special to develop memorable graphics, signage and wayfinding that enhance the fan’s experience. “We are truly honored and thrilled to be part of the team to build the new ballpark,” says Kiku Obata, President “We are Cardinals fans too and want to make the new Busch Stadium the best place for the best fans in the country to enjoy a game!”
Kiku Obata & Company conducted extensive research in order to identify multiple design goals that would further enhance the fan’s experience. “We understand signage and wayfinding but we also understand the importance of context,” says Obata, “We are involved in many different projects where we need to create a compelling environment that appeals to a particular market. This process involves research, thoroughly understanding the target market, and uncovering the most interesting and intriguing characteristics about the place or entity.” The firm then provides a series of recommendations on the brand identity, environment and other factors to enhance that particular place and create awareness of special characteristics.
One of the primary goals was to successfully integrate the signage into the architecture and create a layer of detail to enrich the way the fans experience the architecture. “Historically, brick construction defines St. Louis architecture,” explains Laura McCanna, lead project designer, “We built on this architectural tradition in a contemporary way and added layers of detail to further enhance the fan experience and extend the Cardinals’ brand throughout the ballpark.”
Another goal was to convey the rich history and heritage of St. Louis baseball. This was achieved by featuring Cardinal heroes, Hall of Fame players, and historic moments resulting in some signature elements that will become instantly recognizable and memorable for the fans.
Over 1,800 graphic/sign elements comprise of the graphics/signage package for the new ballpark. Some of the major sign elements include:
Building Banners: To highlight the gate entries and the main team store, groups of three 26’ long banners are located the Southeast, Southwest, Northwest & North Stadium facades. The banners are attached to the building with black steel framework featuring baseball accents in an ornamental cast bronze finish.
Concession ID: Each concession stand is identified by its own unique name, logotype and logo. The ID sign spans over the openings and are flanked by blade signs also displaying the stand’s logo.
Party Room ID: Etched metal plates that exhibit famous Ball Club names, Cardinal historic moments and National League Pennants/World Series dates, identify the party rooms.
Suite ID: Etched metal “baseball diamonds” display the suite number and copy in black. Matte silver and red line-work float on frosted glasslike backgrounds.
Retired Number Display: Located in the outfield beneath the scoreboard, are ten, four foot round painted metal disks in Cardinal colors. The retired and honorary numbers are in blue and red float off the face of the disk.
Ticket Venue ID: The ticket windows are identified with spanning black metal framework and layered letters, illuminated from within. Each dimensional letter block sits on a field of Cardinal red. The sign is bracketed by the official team logos.
Wayfinding: The major elements of the wayfinding program throughout the Stadium, are open black metal framework structures with red panel inserts and matte silver surrounds that reinforce the architectural character. Directions and services are highlighted with white copy or international glyphs depicting ATM’s, Restrooms and First Aid. Fans will find cast bronze finished baseball accents and an occasional “Redbird” atop the suspended concourse signs. All of the signs, from the etched metal room identification signs to the numerous regulatory signs are designed with the project color palette and type fonts.
###