Project / BQ The Business Quarter, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Task / Wayfinding & Signage
Client / HAK, Jeddah
Year / 2015–2016
In collaboration with UrbanPhenomena, Jeddah

 

Situated within a sprawling land of 103,000 m2, the Business Quarter is a premium business park designed to house global corporations near the port of Dammam, east of Saudi Arabia. We developed the signage and wayfinding system for the office park—from the 8 office buildings to all the multifunction as well as support & utility buildings.

Designing a signage system for the Middle East requires mindful selection of materials* to withstand the blazing sun and for The Business Quarter, to contend with corrosive sea breezes.
— William Harald-Wong

*The signs for Abu Dhabi City (designed by Selbert Perkins Design) are made of porcelain enamel, a relatively costly material for street signs (20,000 were produced) but the material is expected to last 25 years.

 

An insight gained from the BQ project is to never assume that all signs for the Middle East must incorporate Islamic patterns. Given the abundance of Islamic designs already available within the region, the patterns will be lost among the hundreds in the city unless one conceives of innovative ways to use them—a challenge that most designers will relish.

The design for the BQ signage system takes its cue from the austere but beautiful architecture forms, materials, and surface treatment of the buildings within the area, thereby integrating the signs into the overall character of the Business Quarter.

 
Logo and identity by UrbanPhenomena, Jeddah

Logo and identity by UrbanPhenomena, Jeddah

 

As the project is overseas, schematic drawings require more technical detail than usual. For local (Malaysian) projects, the shop / technical drawings are normally done by the appointed sign fabricator.

As the project is overseas, schematic drawings require more technical detail than usual. For local (Malaysian) projects, the shop / technical drawings are normally done by the appointed sign fabricator.


The signs were fabricated in Riyadh

The signs were fabricated in Riyadh

Building identifier signs are backlit with blue neon

Building identifier signs are backlit with blue neon

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Interior signs mirror the austere rectangular forms of the architecture

Interior signs mirror the austere rectangular forms of the architecture