Leaders of The New School | Platform LA

While in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago I soaked in a little more than sunny skies and heavy traffic. I spied Platform LA, an eye-catching retail concept situated in the often skipped over, but up-and-coming, Culver City. At first, the shopping district appears to take the form of a familiar outdoor mall but quickly revealed a refreshing twist – one-off retailers, restaurants, and art galleries for a destination-worthy, shopping experience. Platform LA serves up a branded shopping experience with a distinct “between the brands” expression that comes across through their tailored curation of retailers, a commitment to the arts, respite inspired landscaping, and an encouraging tone of voice that acts as a playful counter to their on-site wayfinding.

Music Hall Renovation

A local project in our own backyard, FRCH’s Hospitality and Retail-Mixed Use studios have teamed up on the renovation of Cincinnati’s iconic Music Hall. We were tasked with an overhaul to the environmental graphics and wayfinding strategies in addition to the FF&E packages for the Symphony Offices. As a treat for all our hard work, some lucky FRCH-ers were offered the chance at a behind-the-scenes tour of the renovation in-progress – before they close the doors until the grand re-opening in early October.

Welcome to Main & Vine

Earlier this month, Kroger opened their doors to Main & Vine – a brand new 27,000 SF, fresh‐format supermarket prototype in Gig Harbor, Washington. With the widely noted successes of recent ventures like their Roundy’s purchase and the billion-dollar-plus status of their Simple Truth brand, this new brand launch comes with much excitement and anticipation. FRCH partnered with the country’s largest supermarket chain step-by-step from concept to completion to bring the new natural grocery brand to life.

Intuitive Wayfinding in India

Internationally, the most successful wayfinding signage and environmental graphics are those that bridge the language barrier.