A combination of photographic backgrounds and etched plexiglass, our goal was to create a display that would be interesting and informative from a distance and up close, and compelling both during the day and at night.
History Wall – Day and Night
Outside the Sanford Pentagon, we developed a History Wall that explains some key moments in the history of the game of basketball. The displays are a combination of photographic backgrounds and etched plexiglass. Our goal was to create a display that would be interesting and informative from a distance and up close, and compelling both during the day and at night. The challenge was to make both elements work well together, but also allow each to be self-supporting if conditions didn’t allow viewing both.
Original designs from original photos
One of the challenges with this project was finding the historic photographs that document the stories and moments that are central to the history of the game. There are thousands of iconic images floating around on the internet, but it’s very difficult to know what information is accurate. Once the photos were identified, it was even more difficult to determine where the original images were, and more importantly, who owned the rights to those images. Another unique aspect of working with historical photos as a designer is that you are constrained by reality: these images are records of actual events, and can’t be altered to suit the needs of the design. It’s very common for a designer to flip an image around, for example, to fit the flow of the composition. While that’s acceptable with images that you have created or when using stock images, we have an obligation to leave historical image as we found them.
(You can find more images of the interior projects here or on the Pentagon website.)
