Public art has a big challenge: it is in public. This elegant sculpture is either dangerous to the public or the public is dangerous to the art. Either way, the dramatic effect of the granite obelisk base emerging from the plaza is ruined. And the distracting barriers and traffic cones… Read more »
Berlin is often described as a gray or monochrome city, but sparks of color can be seen many places around this emerging European arts center. Here, a palette of cool hues on the window frames makes a striking pattern against the red background of the building. It could almost be… Read more »
You don’t need to read Russian to understand the meaning of this universal message seen posted on a wall in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Often called finger or pointer signs, this familiar sign type can be effective in pedestrian environments. Signs with panels that literally point toward destinations work especially well in places that are not orthogonal such as parks and historic sites. Here, the destination panels are accompanied by actual arrows that ‘pierce’… Read more »
Portland’s Alberta Arts District has found a unique way to recycle city signs and add color to the streetscape of one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
Los Angeles has its share of great buildings and here’s one of them: the headquarters of Los Angeles Department of Water & Power designed by A.C. Martin in 1961. Known as the John Ferraro Building, the elegant high-rise features a luminous vertical curtain walled volume contrasted and protected by strong… Read more »
Signs aren’t always up in the air. Here, a sculpted bronze plaque celebrating San Francisco’s historic Barbary Coast Trail is set into the sidewalk.
Yes, this is the only way out.
Trike Rack