Signage for Beirut City [Thesis Project]
Going through the streets of Beirut and understanding the city is very hard for a foreigner. But one of the things that gives this city a certain charm is that people still roam around in the streets trying to figure out where to go. I chose as a project, to work on the signage for a street of Beirut, Gouraud. The street is visually very chaotic, with the damaged architecture, the ruined pavement, the uneven surfaces and the dangling wires. But this chaos hides little wonders that people should take the time to look at. I wanted to address the travelers and people who are coming to the street of Gouraud, and let them discover its history and the little secrets it conceals. Since I believe that with the advances of technology, signage has to bring more to the audience then just a location, I have decided to redesign the signage for the street of Gouraud and letting it be the voice of the street.
The signage system developed is composed of six types of signs:
Street statutory signs that can also present a color photograph of a famous interior according to their position. Directional signs that are based on known landmarks (church, school, stairs, old restaurant). When alone, the directional signs present a colored photograph of the landmark. Identification signs for landmarks. They present a black and white photograph and a written history of the location. Directional signs that reveal hidden wonders in the street (architectural elements, artistic or historical artifacts). An electronic system a digital touch screen that presents an interactive map and a list of places to visit. The visitor can choose to go through the list of places or decides to have a local recommend places and tell him the history of the street (asking locals being one of the characteristic of Beirut tourism). A static conventional map for pedestrians to locate themselves.

Project >