General Commercial Sector: Newcastle Cathedral Wayfinding Units.
Who: A project for Infinite Design & Historic Property Restoration.
Where: Newcastle, Northeast, England.
What: Wayfinding Units.
In 2021 we were asked to create bespoke wayfinding units for Newcastle Cathedral. The units were to be positioned outside of the cathedral in several areas, to help visitors navigate their way around the 14th-century building. Our client opted for Corian ‘Deep Anthracite’ as the wayfinding unit base colour, which was fixed to an orange powder coat, galvanised steel frame, that was bolted to concrete foundations. The colour choice didn’t impose on the 900-year-old architecture and married well with the surrounding environment while being bold enough to catch the eye of any visitors. For the logo graphic and informative text, we used Corian Glacier White liquid adhesive, which contrasts well with the Deep Anthracite background ensuring that the key information is easy to read, again drawing the attention of potential visitors. Each of the way-finding units featured an intricate design to add depth and texture to the panels. To ensure the pattern was the same on each of the units, our CNC technician spent time programming the design and producing samples to ensure this matched the brief accurately before we used our CNC machine to cut out the detailed fretwork on the final panels.
Why Solid Surface:
The hardwearing nature of the solid surface was the first of many reasons why this was an excellent material choice for this project. Corian, like other acrylic-based products, is durable and hardwearing so it can be used for exterior purposes. While products like stone may endure some erosion and general wear and tear over the years, Corian is not impacted by the unpredictable British weather and won’t lose its definition. Certain Corian colours are UV stable meaning that the product will not fade and change colour because of harsh UV rays, and all Corian material is waterproof, therefore the wayfinding units are suitable for exterior usage.
