Graphic & Experiential Design
Graphic & Experiential Design
Looking to connect the light rail station to the stadium district, the Seattle Mariners worked with Gensler to generate excitement for fans coming downtown for a ballgame.
Located at the corner of Royal Brougham Way & 4th Ave S, the Stadium stop on the Light Rail can make fans feel like they got dropped off in the middle of an industrial warehouse. The client team of the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Sounders wanted to up the excitement of fans traveling to the game (which increasingly come from the light rail) and also assure them they are close to the stadium.
The graphic uses what is called animorphic projection, an optical trick that makes an image only readable from a certain vantage point. When waiting at the crosswalk after exiting the light rail, fans can read the “MY OH MY” quote from the late, great Mariners commentator, Dave Niehaus, while the baseball and soccer ball patterns point them towards the two stadiums.
After doing a 3D scan of the underpass, the Gensler team was able to make a digital model in Rhino to determine the size of the graphic and get an estimate for paint, labor and coordination from the fabrication team.
Scale drawing constructed for design intent.
With help from the city of Seattle, the team was able to close off the street corner at night to do a laser projection onto the bottom of the underpass. This ensured that the letters would be accurate from the intended viewing location.
Working quickly, the painting team masked off the letters and graphic elements.
The feedback was tremendous, with the fans posting all over social media and the client team extremely excited to engage with new crowds of people coming to games. With the success of this project, the client is looking at more ways to develop the area around the ballpark.
Design Firm: Gensler
Lead Designer: Elliot Rupe
Strategy Lead: Joel Farris
Design Manager: Alex Burkholder
Fabricator: CREO Industrial Arts