Client MASS MoCA
Location North Adams, Massachusetts
Tags Wayfinding Graphics Signage
Status Completed 2017

MASS MoCA is the largest contemporary art museum in the United States, housed on a vast seventeen-acre industrial campus. Commissioned by the museum’s leadership, OverUnder developed a series of graphic elements that help the public navigate a complex, memorable place.

The project extends an already strong brand with new guides, customized typography, and a series of totems crafted out of two-inch-thick steel that remained from an earlier art installation. These panels create a strong identity that parallels the institution’s merging of artworks with its industrial past.

Fabrication: DCL Boston, Autodesk Build Space, Mandy Johnson & James Jarzyniecki of OUTSIDE Gallery

2018 SEGD Finalist

  • MASS MoCA
    • A family of elements—from totems to blade signs, from visitor guides to accessible signage—was developed to ensure legibility across the campus.
  • MASS MoCA
    • Legacy signs were repurposed for consistency within the new wayfinding solution, and made more easily identifiable as MASS MoCA directions.
  • MASS MoCA
    • New entry signage focus' attention on the visitor arrival experience.
  • MASS MoCA
    • A three-dimensional model of the campus was fabricated in concrete to aid in navigation and legibility.
  • MASS MoCA
    • Totems were fabricated from two-inch thick steel remaining from an early installation at the museum. Each sign weighs approximately 1000 pounds.
  • MASS MoCA
    • Building numbers are cut out of blackened steel, and placed unobtrusively throughout the building.
  • MASS MoCA
  • MASS MoCA
  • MASS MoCA
  • MASS MoCA
    • Navigational signs are unobtrusive, and complement the material palette of the existing factory spaces.
  • MASS MoCA
  • MASS MoCA
    • We redesigned the visitor guide with custom isometric drawings for all buildings on the campus. Photography emphasizes location for museum guests.
  • MASS MoCA
  • MASS MoCA
    • Brand management is crucial to the MASS MoCA identity. We further customized Futura ND with a set of characters that increased comprehension for the museum.
  • MASS MoCA
    • We brought the visitor guide into the same aspect ratio of the gallery experience, making collecting an easy option.
  • MASS MoCA