The internationally-renowned Lloyd’s building was designed by the architect Richard Rogers and took eight years to build. 33,510 cubic meters of concrete, 30,000 square metres of stainless steel cladding and 12,000 square metres of glass were used during the construction. Lloyds of London is an award-winning building located on Lime Street, London.

Wayfinder UK worked alongside brand consultants Saffron to undertake a full wayfinding analysis, to develop a signage strategy and an associated family of signs to carry the brand message of one of the United Kingdom’s most iconic institutions. It was important to exhibit the corporate image associated with such a famous establishment.

As a marketplace for insurance the building had a huge amount of complexity which needed to be considered, a range of organisations make use of these offices. The consultants undertook a highly detailed analysis of the various uses of the building and gained insight into the typical journeys taken.

The first challenge was the size of the building, a cohesive wayfinding strategy needed to incorporate every floor without compromise. This was then further complicated as different areas of the building could only be accessed by certain users. Therefore the strategy needed to work alongside security to reach a comfortable solution. The consultants also needed to consider the routes taken by visitors and tourists.

Tours of the building and its history are undertaken each day, this therefore was also given great consideration. Once a corporate wayfinding strategy was designed the next task was to develop the signage communications and brand guidelines to incorporate within the scheme.

…carry the brand message of one of the United Kingdom’s most iconic institutions

The sign family developed reflected the organisations powerful heritage and offered the correct balance of strength with the flexibility required to manage change. The black panels are simple, yet elegant and demonstrate class. The solution chosen carries the strong brand message without being overstated. In turn, being highly sympathetic to both the needs of the client and the iconic building they occupy. The signage needed to be designed in order to match the unique internal architecture designed by Richard Rogers, to ensure there were minimum complications upon installation. Consistency became key part of the signage specification, strict brand guidelines were integrated into the strategy in order to maintain the perception of quality at Lloyds of London.

Wayfinder UK continue to support Lloyds of London with advice on strategy and assist in provisions of signage as the building develops. The consultants help to enforce the brand guidelines, which ensures Lloyds of London preserve a strong corporate image into the future.