Oxford Brookes Univeristy
Europe
View Project
40 Leadenhall
- Location
- London, UK
- Client
- M&G Real Estate
- Services
- Wayfinding
- Sector
- Office
A wayfinding system for distinctive London tower.
40 Leadenhall is a 34-storey commercial tower in the City of London’s insurance district, designed by Make Architects, accommodating up to 10,000 occupants across one of the largest schemes to receive planning permission in the City.
Benoy was appointed to develop a wayfinding system for an interior of considerable navigational complexity, including multiple lift lobbies and double-storey lifts serving alternate floors. A visual audit of the Leadenhall area, drawing on the contrast between the neighbourhood’s historic fabric and its contemporary architecture informed the design approach. That tension between old and new, sculptural and sleek, rough and smooth, became the organising principle of the wayfinding scheme.
Dates2015
Size
84,500m2
Signage is embedded within the building’s architecture rather than applied over it, using contrasting materials of matte black aluminium, brushed stainless steel, and brass, to echo both the classical references and contemporary precision of the interior. After evaluating a range of typefaces, FS Siena was selected for its legibility, elegance, and resonance with the building’s fluted wall panelling. A tactile map and refined pictogram set extend the system’s accessibility while adding character to the overall design language.
