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Niagara College – Toronto
By : Entro
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN 18th edition
Distinctions
Discipline : Communication & Branding
Categories : Environmental Design / Signage : Bronze certification
Categories : Environmental Design / Mural & Artistic Installation : Silver certification
Reimagined Use for a Heritage Building
The rise in hybrid work has driven many organizations to downsize their office space, leaving vacancies in our towns and cities. A problematic hangover from the pandemic for some has become an opportunity for others, including schools, who are able to open satellite locations in dense, highly desirable urban areas. Case in point: Niagara College recently opened a satellite campus in Toronto’s newly revitalized Mirvish Village. Opening a satellite campus in a heritage building offers a sustainable option that can save money on materials while maintaining the character of a neighbourhood. But it’s not without its challenges. Serving a new function for new user groups means originally intended architectural features may not be suited for what’s to come.
Experiential graphic design (EGD) plays an important and affordable role toward repurposing a heritage building. To meet this challenge, our firm developed a vibrant graphic program that builds on the college’s brand identity to locate and define different learning spaces while welcoming students into an energizing, collaborative environment.
Infusing the College Feel
Originally constructed in 1891, the heritage building housing Niagara College Toronto’s (NCT) new satellite campus presented a few interesting challenges. First, we needed to announce NCT on the exterior of what was once a mixed-use building with a storefront. We designed a cohesive series of branded banners, medallion signs, and graphics, to clearly communicate this is a school, not a store. A modest entrance originally designed for a small-business needed to be bolder, more visible and welcoming.
We needed to ensure that Niagara College’s partnership with the Toronto School of Management was clearly presented on the exterior signage, and to abide by heritage guidelines, which include size restrictions and mounting techniques that avoid damaging or altering heritage surfaces. We also wanted to develop designs using shapes, colours, and materials that looked good with the architectural style of the building.
To really make an impact, we set out to create an EGD program that was instantly recognizable as Niagara College but with distinct flourishes to allow students to distinguish it as the Toronto campus. We extended the colour palette and used the NC brand’s circular dot/ball in a new way to make it seem as though they’re bouncing through the space, leaving a trail of colour and lines. This infused a sense of energy and motion while expressing the dynamics of how NCT teaches, how the students interact, and the colourful future they’re creating for themselves.
The result? The EGD program clearly delineates different areas, and its youthful feel makes the space come alive as a campus. Murals—presented as abstracted maps—enliven every level by focusing on locality and zeroing in on the campus' downtown neighbourhood and Canada as a whole.
Collaboration
Other : Entro
Photo credit