The public got the first look at the signs for the new Memphis Art Museum this week as its leaders seek approval from the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board (DRB).
The proposal includes two signs, a wall sign on the eastern side of the building and a larger sign fixed to the roof.
The wall sign, made of 1-inch thick wood letters, will face Front Street and read “Memphis Art Museum at Hyde Square.” The rooftop sign, featuring an artistic design of the letters MAM, will have a “stainless steel matte finish with seamless welds,” and will be “externally lit in white from both sides.”
The museum’s distinct logo was created by the graphic designer behind the Citibank logo, the Tiffany and Co. logo, the Windows 8 logo, and designs for Shake Shack, CNN, and more.
Paula Scher has shown her work all over the world, including a 2002 show at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Design blogs describe her as a “celebrated designer” and creative titan that “has left a lasting mark on modern design with her bold typography and iconic logos,” according to Logo Decks, a design project.
The DRB is set to review the signs in a meeting next week.
While design code now only allows rooftop signs around AutoZone Park and Peabody Place, DRB still recommends the designs for the museum. Code allows for exceptions “in cases where outstandingly creative design solutions are offered.”
The DRB staff report said, “the proposed sign will have positive aesthetic impacts on the overall skyline of Downtown Memphis as seen from the riverfront and Arkansas. Overall, the proposed rooftop sign expertly melds the signage needs of the structure with its artistic use and is a strong example of the type of signage that the Design Review Board seeks to support.”
These usually include designs that use unique or high quality materials, exterior lighting, and outstanding graphic composition. Taking these qualifications into account, DRB staff released a report containing their recommendation for the board’s decision in preparation for their meeting on July 1.
