Harrison 
Hudson River Park is a 550-acre riverfront park and estuary preserve located on the west side of Manhattan. The bridge runs four miles along the Hudson River between Battery Place and West 59th Street and features 30 piers extending into the river. Pentagram designed Hudson River Park’s comprehensive branding and signage system, drawing inspiration from Hudson River Park’s distinctive elongated shape and unique blend of river, pier, and green space.
Although temporary post and panel signs have been used for years, this is the park’s first permanent program consisting of more than 400 individual signs. This comprehensive system includes landmark beacons, welcome signs at each entrance, facility identification, wayfinding, directory maps, and regulatory signage, as well as a banner system and construction graphics. The internally illuminated beacon features a prominent park logo folded around the corner. These 15-foot-tall landmarks mark key entrances to major intersections and blend into the landscape, yet stand out from a distance without blocking the view. Each beacon is made of stainless steel and tempered glass and is lit from the inside with LED lighting.
Other parts of the system continue to use the park’s identity and the park itself as inspiration. The chevron-shaped arrow used on the four-way sign comes from the “K” in the logo. The typeface stencil details are also reflected in the entire icon system representing all of the park’s amenities. To accommodate park expansion and changes in equipment, sign systems are designed to be modular, and the stainless steel frames of many signs include grooves that allow panels to slide in and out. To withstand the marine environment, the sign panels are made from high-pressure laminate (HPL), are graffiti-resistant, and have a 10-year lifespan.
In addition to permanent signage, Pentagram developed a graphics system for banners and construction graphics with custom icons to indicate the various activities available within the park. Construction graphics are especially important for branding unfinished parts of the park and concealing them during renovation work. Each of these components works together to create a consistent brand experience, unifying the different parts of the park as you march 4 miles along the Manhattan riverfront, exploring all that the Hudson River Park has to offer. inform the person.
Photo and Copyright: Pentagram
