Honor Award
Santa Monica Civic Center Parking Structure Signage
Santa Monica, CA
City of Santa Monica
Beck & Graboski Design Office
Terry P. Graboski (partner in charge/design director), Constance Beck (collaborating partner/creative director)
Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners (design architect), International Parking Design (executive architect)
C&C Signs (exterior illuminated signage), CA Signs (interior signs), Daktronics (electronic displays), Pulp Studios (frosted glass)
Terry P. Graboski
Completed in 2007, the Santa Monica Civic Center Parking Structure is no ordinary parking garage. It is the first LEED-certified parking structure in the U.S. and, With the hlep of dynamic colored -glass cladding designed by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners, it has transcended its utilitarian purpose to become a key feature of the city’s new civic gateway. Its façade of multicolored channel-glass bays provides a dramatic and memorable arrival point for the Civic Center.
Beck & Graboski Design Office was commissioned to create signage and graphics for the structure, which has been described as an “urban curtain.” Their program features flag-mounted projecting signage of recyclable frosted glass enclosures that cantilever off the structure and glow from within, creating a soft-focus message that is clearly visible both day and night. The vertical glass sign enclosures complement the colored “U” channel glass that clads the building and is illuminated at night with neon. A double-sided electronic Daktronics display alerts motorists to parking availability as well as local events and information at the key entrance intersection.
Brushed stainless steel reverse channel letters spell out “Santa Monica Civic Center” and float above the north façade, announcing the destination in white LED illumination. The letters create a playful collage of light and shadow, yet the message is perfectly clear against the multicolor glass background.
Interior graphics are simple. Painted wall and column graphics play with local artists’ public art pieces at each level. Hanging wayfinding signage consists of simple aluminum panels with reflective vinyl graphics. Pedestrian and bicycle parking signage consists of blade-mounted aluminum panels with reflective graphics. An exterior pathfinder system directs cyclists to the bike parking.
LEED educational signage (worth one LEED credit point) explains the photovoltaic roof panels that help power the building, describes the recycled building materials and stormwater collection systems, and provides a roof-level map of all LEED-certified buildings in the City of Santa Monica.
The garage is just one of the city’s new green buildings, which also include the Santa Monica Main Public Library, a LEED Gold-certified building with signage and graphics by Beck & Graboski.
“This building type is always fraught with innate brutalism of design and gimmickry in signage/wayfinding. This is a fresh and straightforward solution that uses the exterior skin to its advantage in a very engaging way. The graphic treatment is very clear and functional, interacting seamlessly with the exterior.”
“A transformational garage? Sustainability and public art throughout this facility are what hits the mark. Specifically, the seamless integration of the architectural façade transforms a typical garage into a colorful, eclectic glass curtain wall speaking to the Santa Monica experience. We love the simple bold typography, public art, and color coding.”