Project: The Historic Park Inn Hotel
Location: Mason City, IA
Markets Served: Hospitality
Design-Build Signage Solution for Restored Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel
The Historic Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank were designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and had a significant impact on architecture in the United States and Europe. The recent restoration effort is the culmination of work that started in the 1970’s when the property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Architecture firm Bergland + Cram was commissioned to oversee the restoration and rehabilitation of the Historic Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank Building and converting it into a 27-room boutique hotel. As part of the restoration, the hotel underwent a comprehensive interior signage and donor recognition solution that would use real materials like glass and metal to help conform to the original 1910 design while meeting current ADA guidelines and the facility’s wayfinding needs.
About the Solution
After reviewing the historic renovation design concept and consulting with the client, ASI began the process of designing and engineering a comprehensive signage program that includes digital signage, donor recognition systems and custom interior signage. Based on the historical environment, a specialized custom solution was designed to integrate seamlessly into the interior environment. During the engineering process, determining how to mount the interior signage had to be resolved due to the swirled plaster walls and weak wall structure to house recessed digital displays. ASI fabricated the custom solution utilizing etched glass with chemetal inlays. Due to the textured walls and the lack of a contrast color on the glass panel, the signage was mechanically mounted approximately ” from the wall. Keeping design and aesthetics in the forefront, ASI created a custom mounting solution using acrylic square stand-off fasteners with countersunk holes in the glass sign panel, which are hidden by decorative chemetal squares.
Digital signage was integral to the signage program to communicate information on the historical hotel and surrounding district, while providing additional information and direction to visitors and patrons. Custom-built wooden enclosures where key to the implementation due to the wall structure and need to integrate a solution that complemented the historic look and feel of the hotel. In addition, ASI designed and installed two beautiful donor recognition systems which honors the financial contributors (donors and lenders) that made the renovations possible and help tell the story of this historic building.
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