The new wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum—designed
by acclaimed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava—is a work
of art in its own right. Corbin was called in to design
signage that would integrate the pavilion with the rest of the museum
without intruding on the soaring architecture.
Working closely with the architect, Corbin achieved
the goal through the use of subtle white, metal and glass signage
that matches the materials
used in the architecture itself.
Outside, white aluminum
entry signs were mounted atop white granite bases, and stainless
steel plaques were engraved with the names of major donors. Inside, freestanding directional signs use paper inserts
sandwiched between sheets of glass. Engraved glass
squares on the donor wall were painted white
and then blue on the back, and mounted an inch off the wall. Ambient
light hitting the back of the squares
casts a subtle blue blush on the wall.