Skyscraper Banners
You may have noticed the new “Historic Soulard” skyscraper banners that are now hanging throughout Soulard.
For 16 months, the Soulard CID worked with Ten8 Design, Craftsmen Industries and the City of St. Louis on the concept, design, fabrication and installation of these banners as part of an effort to: 1) brand and promote the historic and architectural heritage of Soulard; 2) initiate the process of neighborhood placemaking for Soulard; and 3) communicate the livability, social fabric and vibrancy of Soulard.
Approximately 70 banners have been hung throughout the CID, specifically on Broadway, 7th Street, 9th Street and 12th Street (north-south streets) and Lafayette Avenue, Geyer Avenue, Russell Boulevard and Sidney Street (east-west streets). Every attempt has been made to place banners: 1) at major neighborhood entry-points and 2) at noticeable intervals along the lengths of each street.
There’s a hard and soft side to the pole banner system … each of which provides a critical visual and messaging component to the overall banner design.
The hard side (permanent) represents the historic architecture of Soulard and utilizes several historic design elements to emphasize this concept.
The soft-side (seasonal) provides an opportunity to visually communicate a variety of neighborhood and seasonal messaging throughout the year. Soft-side banner messaging will change multiple times throughout the year and can vary in design throughout the neighborhood.
The initial presentation of soft-side messaging consists of three messaging themes and utilizes catchphrases and photography to showcase architectural features as a tribute to our past and future.
En Plein Air
A French expression meaning “in the open air”, refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view.
This series of banners depicts a bird’s-eye topographical survey of Soulard, drawn in 1875, by the cartographers Richard Compton and Camille Dry. Their cityscapes were drawn from the perspective of a hot air ballon (although the actual use of the flying apparatus has not been proven) and depicted St. Louis neighborhoods as they existed in the mid-1870’s.
There are three different versions of our En Plein Air banners, each depicting a different section of Soulard and each with the typeface located at the bottom, middle and top of the banner, which reflects the rise and descent of a hot air balloon.
History Still Being Made
These banners recognize the fact that despite having a long and colorful past, Soulard continues to make history every day for future generations to acknowledge and remember. Through neighborhood improvement, building restoration and renovation, residential involvement, social engagement and neighborhood-wide entertainment, history is still being made every day by Soulard’s residents, businesses and visitors.
This message is further accentuated by the photographic backdrop of a flounder house façade, which complements the banner design and further showcases the architectural uniqueness of our neighborhood.
The Every Brick Tells A Story
This theme is a play on the idiom “Every Picture Tells A Story” and the Rod Stewart song by the same title. Our intent in using this phrase is to describe the diversity of residents who live here and call Soulard their home.
Soulard has long been known for a neighborhood that celebrates and welcomes diversity. Whether it be lifestyle, lifestage, ethnic, occupational or economic, Soulard’s resident population proudly exhibits their brand of diversity … and proudly has their own story to tell. The reference to bricks, and the photographic detail behind the typeface, speaks to the individuality and uniqueness of our residents.
As the months go by, look to the soft-side banners, as messaging will change multiple times throughout the year.
We hope you enjoy Soulard’s newest branding initiative, and we hope this short essay explains the design concept and rationale used in the creation and placement of banners throughout Soulard.