Solenis: When signage becomes the central element of wayfinding & creative spatial design
When signage becomes an interior-design element oriented to the corporate design. Signage is often far more than advertising. At Solenis, BlaueErdbeere got to develop a wayfinding and orientation system and, at the same time, take on part of the creative interior design.
Outside, the weathered supplier entrance was given a completely new CI outfit – with a full-face door film – so the company headquarters was also upgraded on the back of the building, with little investment, through the Solenis branding. The exterior signage was rounded off with entrance signs and directional signs.
For the interior design, BlaueErdbeere supplied a large-format information board that gives the visitor an overview of the floors and departments right in the entrance area. Projecting signs with pictogram design complement the wayfinding. Large-format tension-fabric frames show watercolour motifs alongside the Solenis logo, which, through their blue colouring and suggestion of water, quickly make it clear that here at Solenis everything revolves around the element of water. In the atrium, 3 tension-fabric installations function as acoustic walls and deliver pleasant room acoustics. The white wall in the large meeting room was enhanced with the luminous Solenis lettering as individual letters, profile 3.
Corridors were given individual image motifs, produced on aluminium composite panels, silk-matt, laminated by means of 4c UV direct printing. The specialist field of the respective department, whether paper or water treatment, is reflected in the precisely chosen image motifs. This supports the design of the space and, at the same time, orientation in the space.
SOLENIS is a leading global manufacturer of speciality chemicals for water-intensive industries, including the markets for pulp, paper, oil and gas, chemical processing, mining, biorefinery and municipal services. The company’s product offering comprises a broad range of process aids, water-treatment chemicals, functional additives and the most modern monitoring and control systems. These technologies help customers increase operational efficiency, improve product quality, protect their facilities and increase environmental compatibility.
The company is based in Wilmington, Delaware and has 71 plants, placed strategically around the world and comprising a team of about 15,400 specialists in 130 countries on five continents. With eight research sites and 7 application laboratories, Solenis supports its customers worldwide in solving problems.
“We came across BlaueErdbeere on the internet. It was quickly clear: we’ll just enquire here. The new company headquarters in Mönchengladbach, which they had just moved into, had to be fitted with a wayfinding system that fitted exactly. The walls, some of them still white, were to get an individual Solenis room identity. Even the first draft from BlaueErdbeere, with your creative ideas, convinced us completely. In the process, the wayfinding system itself became a design element. The signage for each floor was creatively realised as door film and flush wall design. For us, a real design highlight of the corridor design, which creates its effect specifically on our plain concrete walls. My personal favourite is the moss world map that was supplied. It beautifies our meeting room and, with small marker flags, shows visitors our numerous sites at the same time,” emphasises Samara Clouston, CAL Management Assistant & Application Technician at Solenis.
