Expanding our wayfinding scheme at London Business School

Our wayfinding scheme for London Business School (LBS) has become a permanent fixture of life at the world-class institution. 12 years on from our initial design, we recently rolled out the scheme into more LBS spaces at their Sussex Place campus: the refurbished Plowden Building, a multi-functional building blending teaching areas and student services, and the Houses, four houses next to Plowden that are used by staff and LBS alumni alike. Both are located on Park Road and were designed in the 1980s. We have worked with LBS over the years to develop the wayfinding for the Sammy Ofer Centre, Taunton Centre, Sussex Place Masterplan and the donor sculpture design. 

Rodney Ardé, Associate Director of Estates and Campus Services at LBS, said: ​“Our wayfinding scheme, designed by Benoy, has proven to be elegant and classic. It has superbly complemented our estate and continues to support the School’s objective of investing in our campuses to maintain our status as a leading global business school.”

A common thread

The discipline of learning and the subjects studied on campus inform the design. Drawing inspiration from the visual language of data, graphs and charts, we used the highly legible sans-serif typeface, Helvetica, for the wayfinding. All signage follows a simple composition in terms of materiality and consists of a bronze panel with white text that is either screen-printed onto the signage surface or onto a clear vinyl which is applied to the surface. The vinyl allows for easy updates, creating a flexible scheme for the ever-evolving international campus. The palette remains simple, using only bronze, white and the LBS red. A key graphic element of the LBS wayfinding is the red line, which borrows from LBS’s own branding. It can be seen on all sign types, usually underlining text or icons. 

Commenting, Graeme Crow, Director of Branded Environments, said: ​​“The wayfinding system functions as a seamless design across the campus and all its buildings, and its unchanging design is a testament to the longevity and appeal of the original concept. We’re proud to see our scheme continuing to shape the LBS campus identity, helping to create a frictionless experience for both staff and students.”