Each of the 23 illuminated letters are 1.8-m (6-ft) tall.
The site’s ‘Hollywood sign’ spells out the mall’s name alongside Alberta’s Highway 2.
Inside and out
For the exterior of the venue, PM Signs created six light-emitting diode (LED) illuminated pylons, six 3-m (10-ft) tall illuminated exterior entrance signs, 15 aluminum parking plaques, vinyl door and window graphics, 24 ‘no smoking’ plaques and, most notably, a set of 23 1.8-m (6-ft) tall illuminated channel letters to spell out the mall’s name alongside Alberta’s Highway 2, in a visual style reminiscent of the famous Hollywood sign.
Given its proximity to the airport, the mall features a flight information display system (FIDS).
For the interior, the company produced six 1.2-m (4-ft) tall non-illuminated entrance signs, 200 general identification (ID) plaques, two push-through LED cabinets for information desks, nine projecting washroom panels, six illuminated projecting washroom signs, 11 braille washroom plaques and 14 wayfinding directories to be hung from the ceilings in different locations throughout the mall. These 1.2 x 6.7- (4 x 22-ft) tenant directories were specially engineered with loading and anchor points to prevent them from swinging around in the air. There were also many wall-mounted wayfinding signs that, in contrast to the exterior faux-rust effect, had to look clean and crisp from up close.
“Then, when there was only one month left, the tenants’ own signs came along,” says Mathiesen. “We did a lot of third-party installations for them, as we could serve as their local partner. Installations are half of our business. That said, this took a lot of co-ordination at a time when there were still a many other contractors on-site. The size of this facility kept us so busy, we simply could not take on as many of the third-party sign installations as we wanted.”
A facility-specific sign guide included strict criteria for the heights of the tenants’ signs and how they could be mounted to their raceways. This approach helped ensure consistency throughout the facility.
An ongoing project
PM Signs also installed many of the tenants’ signs.
PM Signs was kept busy right up until the opening with such last-minute applications as fire extinguisher decals. And some pylons had to be left blank until more tenants were added to the mall after it opened. Indeed, the third-party sign installations will be ongoing, as new tenants come in and others change their branding or leave.
“The developer put a hold on new tenants for just a week or two after opening,” Mathiesen explains. “As occupancy is still growing, we are updating the wayfinding signs accordingly, as well as moving some pieces and fixing scratches. There is a food court in the middle of the mall, for example, where more stalls are being added this summer.”
There is also room to expand the overall size of the mall in the future, if demand grows.
“It’s a great location, with a major airport, lots of manufacturing in the area and close by to Leduc, Alta.,” says Mathiesen. “Just like other cities with outlet malls, this one helps put Edmonton on the map.”
With files from PM Signs. For more information, visit www.pmsigns.ca.
