The design team created three distinct layers of navigation: structured wayfinding, uniquely signed landmarks, and artistic accents. The palette of cut metals and neutral tones for the structured wayfinding blends with the original buildings to provide information where you need it, while pops of color and light draw your attention where you want it. The overall system hangs together loosely, maintaining a similarity of approach without sameness. The solution is camouflaged among the worn, vintage painted signs that still exist around the site, but is ever present when you need it.

It was important to both client and design team to maintain the feeling that this 30-acre site was an integrated part of the city, not a mall or corporate campus, while offering tenants all the convenience of both. Each user group had its own unique needs: retail tenants and visitors needed all the function of a mall directory, while office tenants preferred an organic feel in keeping with without compromising the unique industrial and artistic character of the Arts District.

The design team created three distinct layers of navigation: structured wayfinding, uniquely signed landmarks, and artistic accents. The palette of cut metals and neutral tones for the structured wayfinding blends with the original buildings to provide information where you need it, while pops of color and light draw your attention where you want it. The overall system hangs together loosely, maintaining a similarity of approach without sameness. The solution is camouflaged among the worn, vintage painted signs that still exist around the site, but is ever present when you need it.

The scope included exterior signage spread over 4 mixed-use buildings and a parking garage, encompassing 30+ sign types with hundreds of unique instances, 5 murals (two by the design team, three coordinated with collaborators), as well as tenant storefront criteria. The EGD team worked in-house with the architect and landscape architect on the project to provide fully integrated services.

Attracting the tenants and events that align with the client's vision for leasing to unique shops, and the visitors that would frequent these businesses, has been very important to the client team. Achieving this meant providing top notch amenities and attention to detail while allowing the ad-hoc vibrancy of the Arts District streets to permeate the project. While tenants are still completing buildouts, ROW DTLA has secured leasing commitments from dozens of unique retailers, restaurants, fitness studios, and creative offices. The project has been able to attract major events like Smorgasburg and 29 Rooms, and office tenants like Adidas, which taps into demand for the authentic experience of this area while it continues to grow into its potential.