A Peek behind the Scenes in Creating a "Sense of Place®": The Rosewood Baha Mar Signage Program
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (PRWEB) July 13, 2018 -- Rosewood Baha Mar began welcoming guests to it’s refined resort in the Caribbean last month and a uniquely Sense of Place® signage program helped them find their way around the resort. Embodying the local traditions of “straw work” or “plait” as it is called on the islands, each sign is bespoke, elegant and delightful.
A great deal of the signage was executed in intricately woven fronds which is so much a part of the Bahamian way of life. This intensive process began with an adventure to Long Island, in search of the most seasoned artisans. Pilots, taxi drivers, hoteliers all assisted in making connections and setting up meetings with the “Plait Ladies”. Touring the island and learning the processes for creating these beautiful crafts inspired us to create a program which was interlaced with the colors and materials of the locale.
This intensive process started with a group of lovely ladies harvesting palm fronds on this sleepy island. They dry the strips by the river and, to achieve the subtleties and richness of colors, they smoke the palm fronds (no dyes are used). Woven into long strips of plait rolls, intricate patterns such as “fish pot", "spider web", "lace plait" and "peas ’N’ rice" infuse the spirt of Bahamian culture into the signs.
Our team in Los Angeles was involved in every detail of the fabrication from the size and length of each roll of plait, how to cut and sew the squares together and making the backing material, to edging the squares to keep them from fraying then securing them well. The next step was to create wooden square sign bases that were sanded and stained black three times to achieve the rich color that would pick up the interior design accents of the guest rooms, contrasting and complimenting the natural fiber, woven wallpaper in the hallways. Hand finished bronze guest room numbers were laser cut from thick metal plates to create contrast and depth providing legibility. The ADA braille plaques are a painted black metal, coordinating well with the black and brown plait squares.
The rolls of plait were also used for the borders of the Guest Floor Directional Signage guiding guests to their rooms and around the resort. Messages were cut into the wooden sign and then gilded.
In lieu of the typical large scale and incongruous directional signage usually seen standing out on resort properties, we designed groupings of Lanterns that attract guests to come and take a look, and direct them around the grounds while blending seamlessly with British Colonial architecture set on the gorgeous white sand beaches of Cable Beach. The dark bronze letters are mounted on frosted glass panels in the lanterns to discretely communicate directionals and lead guests to the Pool, the Costa Restaurant, the Beach and to the Villas. Candles glow in the evening set against the lush tropical landscape.
While this required an incredible amount of coordination, supervision and direction in order to achieve the perfect final product, Rubino asserted, “This attention to detail and our hands-on participation in every aspect of the signage creation is what ensures each piece is hand made and unique. But the most fulfilling part of this project was that it was truly lovely to work with such beautiful and creative women.”
Many steps, a little luck and a lot of care is required to create each sign. From research to conceptualization, designing to sourcing materials, then finalizing design details to production across countries and continents, our hope is that the guests find the signage to be elegant and beautiful, almost incidentally a part of the landscape and evoke a smile.
Through the years, Rubino and her studio has won more than 300 international communication arts awards including the Star of Graphic Design award by the PDC (Pacific Design Center), and her work is included in The United States Library of Congress Permanent Collection. Rosewood London opened to great acclaim in 2013, the first property to implement the integrated Strategic Culture and Brand Identity Program, Rosewood Beijing opened 2014. Rosewood Phuket was the first resort in Southeast Asia. Corporate brand and property identity programs are on-going.
“Blending emotionally stunning imagery with simple yet powerful language, and solving complex communication challenges with sensitivity and joy has been our hallmark for more than 30 years. We also embrace this new century and cultural exchange where travelers are truly global and sophisticated. We transcend pre-conceptions so that our strategy and brand identity designs are a dynamic blend of diverse peoples and fresh ideas.” Regina Rubino.
For more information about Regina Rubino and IMAGE: Global Vision , http://www.imageglobalvision.com or email reginarubino(at)imageglobalvision.com, call +1(310) 998-8898 or write to 2525 Main Street, Suite 204 Santa Monica, CA., 90405, USA.
Regina Rubino, IMAGE: Global Vision, http://www.imageglobalvision.com, +1 (310) 998-8898, [email protected]
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