September 2011

Poulin + Morris Announces New Projects for Conrad Hotel, Kuwait University, NPR, and Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

The 11-year-old Embassy Suite Hotel located in Battery Park City is currently being repositioned from a 3-star accommodation to the 4+star Conrad Hotel featuring upscale dining and shopping. The 570,000-square-foot building consists of 463 guestrooms, conference center, ballroom, restaurants, public atrium, as well as an 11-screen Regal Theater cinema. Poulin + Morris was selected to create a unified graphic program for the hotel and design a wayfinding sign program that provides easy-to-follow directions and guidance throughout the high-traffic, public lobby that links various venues and attractions.

Kuwait University commissioned Poulin + Morris to design an environmental graphics and wayfinding sign program for the University's new athletic facilities and student center. The athletic facilities will feature 2 main venues: the Grand Stadium, a 5-level, 15,000-seat, track and field stadium, and an indoor, 2,000-seat tennis arena. The facilities will also feature a series of outdoor courts and playing fields used for both recreation and practice. The student activities center will feature the student union, bookstore, and food vendors, in a series of buildings located in the center of the campus. The wayfinding program will direct the various users of the University's facilities—students, faculty, athletes, visitors, and spectators—in a clear and engaging manner.

Poulin + Morris is collaborating with National Public Radio (NPR) in establishing a comprehensive branding and graphics program for NPR's new Washington, DC headquarters. The project will include environmental graphics, donor recognition, wayfinding, and exhibition displays that will communicate and celebrate the NPR brand. The 300,000-square- foot-plus, landmark-status building will consist of offices, a newsroom, broadcast studios, and satellite transmission and data processing facilities. The centerpiece of the project will consist of a dynamic welcome area and exhibition space adjacent to the building's lobby featuring a "media mosaic" showcasing the NPR member station network.

Poulin + Morris was commissioned by Smithsonian Institution to develop an informative and user-friendly public information program for The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The program will guide visitors and staff through the new Museum and establish a visual link throughout to ensure consistency between the exterior and interior public spaces. The design team's mission is to communicate directional, informational, regulatory, and statutory visual information that will aid in establishing NMAAHC as a world-class museum and research destination while creating a unified "sense of place" for this new institution on the National Mall.

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