Perth Arena
Wayfinding Australia's world renowned sports stadium and concert venue
Perth Arena was designed to attract international performers to the most remote city in the world. This multi-award winning building changed Australia’s international touring circuit.
It is a stadium sized theatre with multiple sub venues, vendors and dramatic peak loads.
It seats 15,000 people.
This project required clear communication for the public, visiting operators, performers and regular staff while maintaining high-minded music hall and theatre qualities.
The requirement for the signage is to manage firstly orientation, secondly operation and thirdly promotion.
We combined stationary and electronic sign systems to deliver the complex matrix of messages simply.
The primary objective – help patrons to their seats.
The main destination is the auditorium with twenty-eight doors arranged in circular arrays over four levels.
The brief was to enable 15,000 people to find their seat by themselves using only their online ticket.
We designed a numeric code system which is used as the main graphic throughout the wayfinding.
DOOR, BLOCK, ROW, SEAT.
We designed a key utility grid for use as a signature graphic device.
It is based on mixing desk VU meters.
Bold and versatile with stencil utility and visual interest (spot the optical illusion).
Perth Arena has a concourse that circles the auditorium and major stairwells with broad landings. It is designed to be explored and wandered during performance breaks.
To hang out, to view, to be social.
To aid orientation it is divided up into north, south, east and west with colour coded zones and large sequential door numbers.
The back bar provides a key spacial landmark at the mid point of the concourse.
Colour coded spaces create landmarks and gathering points.
The bar signs amplify the colour zoning with internal illumination and sparkling geometry.
At key locations wayfinding, operational and promotional functions were combined into multi-function signs.
These signs identify location, show price lists, carry advertising and promote upcoming events.
The wayfinding is also designed to provide key markers for people wanting to meet up in the many informal gathering places.
"I'm at level three east, where are you?"
Throughout the building, finer grain levels of information detail are placed at key decision points to make navigating the space feel natural and logical.
The same care was taken with the back of house wayfinding and lift directories.
And while hanging in the car park, we pay tribute to those who rock.
Wayfinding doesn’t have to be limited to explicit instruction. We thought of another way to draw the eye to the exits.
Rock gods lurk in the basement, as a reminder of the history that is made through live performance.
A tribute to the icons who commanded the stage and made stadium shows possible.
We hope you enjoyed the show.