Merit Award
Monsanto Childcare Center
Client
Monsanto Company
Location
St. Louis, MO
Design Firm
Hellmuth, Obata, & Kassabaum (HOK) with Tempus Fugit
Design Team
Hal Kantner (Principal in Charge), Diana Gonzalez; Christine Fullgraf (Tempus Fugit)
Fabricator
Engraphix
Photographer
Alise O'Brien
On Monsanto's St. Louis campus, HOK teamed with Tempus Fugit to produce a whimsical signage solution to the Child Development Center. Interior and exterior graphics use a mixture of loose, handwritten and tight typeset fonts within each legend to represent the combination of children and adults that occupy the facility. All the sign elements attempted to use familiar residential elements in their construction. Many were retail purchased toys repurposed for sign content. Where possible, the primary colors of the interior palette were represented in the graphics, including the handprint wainscoting created by the designer's daughters.
Jury Comment
A spirited and whimsical approach to signage, all the more impressive when the client and context are considered. Smart and seemingly effortless.