UCL: Views From the 50th
Environmental
2021
SCOPE
Experiential and Environmental Concepts
Visual Identity Systems
Bespoke Typography and Systems
Digital Art Direction
Art Direction
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BRIEF
Following our work on level 38, UCL School of Management expanded their campus to the 50th floor of One Canada Square. We were tasked with evolving the existing design system into a comprehensive wayfinding and signage strategy. The challenge was to create a space that reflected the school’s global prestige while making their complex academic research accessible and engaging to everyone who walks the halls.
WORK
We developed a sophisticated wayfinding system that integrates seamlessly with the iconic architecture of Canary Wharf. Our approach moved beyond simple signage to include large-scale supergraphics for walls and glazing. By establishing a benchmark of clarity in the navigation, we ensured the transition between floors felt cohesive, supporting the school’s continued growth and its reputation as a world-leading institution for management education.
PLAY
Our design concept celebrates the school’s intellectual output by bringing academic papers to life. We used photographic juxtapositions and simplified “abstracts” to turn data into a visual experience. To bridge the gap between the physical and digital, we embedded QR codes directly into the supergraphics, taking viewers straight to an online research portal. It is an environment where the walls don’t just provide directions, they tell stories.
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UCL: Views From the 50th
- Experiential and Environmental Concepts
- Visual Identity Systems
- Bespoke Typography and Systems
- Digital Art Direction
- Art Direction
Having previously commissioned Studio Blackburn to create the environmental design of their campus on level 38 of One Canada Square (Canary Wharf), UCL School of Management expanded to a second floor — level 50.
Studio Blackburn were tasked with developing the design system further for the new floor — producing wayfinding and signage together with supergraphics for walls and glazing.
Our design concept celebrates the school’s impressive research portfolio by bringing academic papers to life. Supergraphics showcase photographic juxtapositions and simplified ‘abstracts’. QR codes embedded in the designs take viewers to an online portal to view the full academic papers.
Studio Blackburn’s continued provision of brand design and consultancy has supported a year-on-year increase in the management school’s over-subscribed courses.