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The Hospital for Sick Children

Toronto, ON
Services Deliverables
  • Wayfinding
  • Signage
  • Placemaking
  • Masterplan

A connected hub for collaboration, education and research

Designed as a hub for virtual care, collaboration, education, research and events—the new Patient Support Centre at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is a space that fosters innovation. In keeping with SickKids values, this ambitious new space meant developing an experience which expresses a feeling of welcome and support. Forge was invited by B+H Architects to create a wayfinding masterplan that ensured visitor peace of mind, while creating a distinct sense of place and community connectedness for staff and visitors.

A vibrant lobby experience with colour accents visible at ground level

Intuitive wayfinding through purposeful placemaking

Forge began its masterplanning of the wayfinding journey through careful consideration of the voices that space and place concerns; namely kids. Ensuring an intuitive experience throughout all spaces meant collaborating with relevant groups to create a themed journey narrative. Our wayfinding approach also prioritizes intuitive paths of circulation through the use of placemaking.

Initial exploration of iconography as supergraphic landmarking
Elevator lobby signage conceptual render
Final elevator lobby integrates level number as landmark element with iconography and level colours

A journey of colour

Colour was another layer of the expression of joy and play integrated throughout each level of the building. Working closely with stakeholders, Forge curated hints of colour cues into signage and murals that changed on each floor. Working in harmony with interior design palettes, this journey of colour strengthens the sense of place identity whether at street level or travelling floor to floor. 

Level ID concept rendering and feature stairwell elevation
A colourful journey in this feature stairwell encourages use of an underused space to promote well-being

A metaphor for play

Crafting the space’s influence on how people feel became foundational to establishing a theme for placemaking. Forge explored children’s perspectives of joy and play as metaphors for developing a consistent visual language that became integral to each element of the wayfinding design. Taking cues from block letters, peg and post toys, provided a visual framework that developed over the course of the project.

Murals depicting stylized landscapes and lego inspired supergraphics
Murals with drawings supplied by children liven up the space and ease the experience for staff and visitors
Preliminary renderings of mural artwork
Corridor supergraphics developed with games-inspired themes and input from the Children’s Council

Freeing the act of mobility

Promoting safe and independent movement for people of all abilities was also an important priority for SickKids. Wayfinding included development of tactile maps and cues at key locations for people with sight disabilities. Forge advised on proper semiotic use of pictographic language to be inclusive to a wide audience, ensuring that design of these elements felt aligned with the overall visual narrative.

Open collaboration spaces including pictograms aiding with self-navigation
Dot motif and colour coding harmonized with interior design cues
Amenity directional signage and innovative tactile maps

Four Seasons Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA
Services Deliverables
  • Signage
  • Wayfinding
  • Masterplan

A remarkable experience for a bold new tower

Located at the top of Philadelphia’s stunning 60 floor Comcast Technology Center, the Four Seasons hotel offers guests sky-high views of the city and an array of premium amenities. The wayfinding system established by Forge combines the technological focus of Comcast and the sophistication of Four Seasons to create renewing visual forms and allows users to better understand and orient themselves in the layout of the space.

Visitor circulation
Vertical and linear wayfinding system
Floor ID series and materials

Creating a narrative through poetic programming

The Podium is a vibrant and complex space inside the Comcast Technology Center. Our primary wayfinding challenge was to clearly direct users toward their destinations while encouraging them to explore the building’s full range of amenities. The concept of ‘boldly invisible’ is represented through large-scale but seamlessly-integrated signage, and allows users to ‘aim’ toward these beacons.

Orientation landmarking
Elevator lobby signage
Digital elevator signage

Seamless integration of function and beauty

Anticipating the behaviours and needs of the site’s varied users, Forge developed a wayfinding system that complements the memorable architecture and works in harmony with surrounding landmarks. Directional signage is placed consistently to accommodate multiple destinations and directions of travel with minimal visual intrusion.

A seamless integration with the beautiful architectural
Renderings of entrance ID
Level ID and elegant finishes
I really enjoy working with Forge Media. A very creative studio with great attention to detail which both complements and enhances the architecture of our projects.
Russel Hales, Partner (Foster + Partners)

Four Seasons Doha

Doha, Qatar
Services Deliverables
  • Signage
  • Wayfinding
  • Masterplan

An iconic hotel at the Pearl in Doha

A beachfront resort situated along the shores of The Pearl in Doha, Qatar, The Four Seasons Resort and Residences is a an upscale living experience providing an exceptional combination of elegance and relaxation. Forge collaborated with Four Seasons Hotels to create an environment that communicates authenticity and luxury to guests. The design pays careful consideration to the physical surroundings and creates a deeper, more personal experience for visitors.

Surrounding landscape and luxury amenities

Inspired materials for a memorable experience

Leveraging Doha’s beachfront setting as a metaphor, the signage material palette draws inspiration from the luster and luminance of pearls, with materials like tempered glass and quartz reflecting the transparency and movement of water. Curvilinear forms and rounded elements were influenced by the nearby ocean’s fluidity, seamlessly blending distinctive forms with functional design.

Concept sketches
Low and high-fidelity renderings of guest room ID
Interior signage and wayfinding

An authentic base of understanding

Seamlessly integrating signage elements that not only guide guests through the hotel’s expansive facilities but also complement the hotel’s surrounding beachfront environment, Forge delivered a cohesive and visually compelling signage system that aligns with the hotel’s commitment to overall excellence in guest service.

Renderings of site pylon ID at day and night
Renderings of building ID at day and night
Elevation of primary entrance ID
Exterior signage and wayfinding

Four Season Athens

Athens, Greece
Services Deliverables
  • Signage
  • Wayfinding
  • Masterplan

A crafted experience evoking familiar surroundings

Four Seasons Astir Palace is located on the Athens Riviera where guests can enjoy a high-end beach resort escape in close proximity to the historic heart of Athens. Beginning with a careful analysis and definition of the target audience, Four Seasons looked to Forge to develop a signage and wayfinding program that would act as a seamless extension of Four Seasons’ white glove service.

Surrounding landscape and luxury amenities

Inspired by history and culture

Through exploration of anthropology, history, and mythology, the concept of the loom and its harp-like vertical striations was established due to its significance to the production of textiles and Greek culture. Its unique shape inspired the structural elements of the signage design and became foundational in our approach for the signage master plan.

The loom served as the foundational signage concept
Hellenic anthropology provided a through-line and mythology
Renderings and elevations for exterior signage applcations

A crafted experience that evokes familiar surroundings

Refined materials and forms create a curated and calm place of solace in both the interior and exterior space. Amenities are identified with distinctive and sophisticated signage, reinforcing the loom concept and providing a tailored experience for each area of the resort.

Nafsika entrance ID
Concept sketches
Renderings of guest room ID
Exquisite interior finishes for an elevated guest experience
Concept sketches
Digital renders of salon signage

Wayfinding designed from the guests’ perspective

Master planning begins by organizing information to understand and define both planned and spontaneous movements. This process ensures that wayfinding and circulation are logically connected, linking major destinations across the campus.

Four Seasons

Services Deliverables
  • Signage
  • Wayfinding
  • Masterplan
  • Placemaking

Sophisticated placemaking for a white-glove experience

Four Seasons operates white-glove service hotels, resorts, and residences across the globe. Seeking to align the high standards of quality and finish expected, Forge is an ongoing partner; providing world-class wayfinding and placemaking solutions. With eight projects and counting, Forge continues to provide outstanding value to this international hospitality company.

Inspired design for unmatched hospitality

Our design approach takes cues from the forms and finishes present in the spaces, employing a sophisticated palette of materials to convey a sense of refined luxury. Sign messages are applied throughout the rooms and spaces to create a seamless look that allows the messaging to grow naturally out of the environment.

Signage details in Four Seasons, Lanai, Hawaii

Award-winning signage and wayfinding solutions

Signage is a subtle yet visible extension of the guest experience, creating a network of visual landmarks and reference points to effectively orient visitors in the many Four Seasons hotel environments we’ve designed without overpowering the spaces. We’ve created signage solutions for many Four Seasons locations, including Doha in Qatar, Khobar in Saudi Arabia, Astir in Greece, Lanai in Hawaii, Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Toronto.

Four Seasons at Comcast Technology Centre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Interior details inside Four Seasons, Toronto, Ontario
Exterior details at Four Seasons, Toronto
  • 8 Four Seasons hotels in our portfolio
  • 4 countries, spanning two continents

Stillwater Spa

Services Deliverables
  • Logo
  • Brand Guide
  • Marketing Materials
  • Stationery
  • Illustration
  • Placemaking

Redefining a sophisticated spa experience

Park Hyatt Toronto recently underwent a massive four-year renovation to redefine and reimagine the modern luxury hotel experience. Located in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood, Park Hyatt offers timeless sophistication across all hotel amenities and spaces. With the hotel’s extensive transformation, an opportunity to rebrand Park Hyatt’s Stillwater Spa arose. Forge worked closely with the teams at Oxford Properties and Hyatt to ensure the branding captured the luxurious nature of the spa.

Logo inspired by the soft touch of watercolours
An image showing the safe space around the Stillwater Spa logo
Clear space requirements and a delicate colour palette to support the brand
A letterform of the letter A for the font Senlot
A letterform of the letter A for the font Sweet Sans Pro
Classy fonts for this high-end spa

Curating moments of calm and tranquility

Stillwater Spa is an oasis of urban tranquillity — a sanctuary where guests discover true serenity and balance through a hyper-personalized experience. We sought to explore ways to incorporate this curated aspect of the spa into the brand. What resulted was a distinct and elegant identity with ever-evolving watercolour brush strokes, enhancing the rejuvenation and refreshing sense of the brand.

Gift cards and packaging
Stationery and spa menu