Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, 2021
The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, home of the internationally recognized Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO), was built in 1982. The iconic building includes over 50 precast concrete sound-defusing “clouds,” reminiscent of a Sci-fi Galactic Senate, and uses a series of convex curves to avoid flat surfaces or ninety-degree angles inside the hall. All of this, along with years of ineffective, mix-matched wayfinding makes for a complex and non-traditional interior space to navigate. This resulted in concert goers, and staff alike to feel frustrated and confused when trying to find their ticketed seats, the nearest lounge bar or even a restroom. Through extensive research, strategy models and stakeholder engagement, Ashton worked to develop and design a new, thoughtfully integrated wayfinding plan that was architecturally-inspired and respects the legacy of the space.
Environments
Wayfinding & ADA Signage
Donor Recognition
Mimicking the size and bond of the lobby’s cylindrical brick walls, a simple black and white signage system recognizes patrons, the board of trustees, and former music directors of the symphony.
Multiple named spaces and lounges inside the symphony hall utilize deep channel letters. The white-on-white application seamlessly integrates the letterforms into the architecture while smaller red lettering connects to the maroon finishes found throughout the space.
A labyrinthine building with complex seating nomenclature required the design team to develop a robust wayfinding system that could properly function across a multitude of building conditions, guiding concert goers to their correct level, section, row, and seat.
Architectural integration was the foremost goal of the wayfinding system. Primary wayfinding signs are rendered floor to ceiling while secondary signs and supporting directionals match the dimensions of the hall’s bricks.
Photography
Vivian Marie Doering
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