New Signs Tell Visitors Not Just Where, But Who We Are

Workers install the main entrance sign at the corner of West Street and Institute Road, part of a major upgrading of WP's campus signage system.

WPI's urban campus seems to blend almost seamlessly with the neighborhoods around it. For first-time visitors, this lack of clear borders can making finding the campus-and even being sure they've actually arrived-a little challenging.

To make the university easier to locate, WPI places signs around the campus periphery. This summer, that signage system underwent a major upgrade. Plywood signs sporting WPI's old two-towers logo were replaced with bright red aluminum signs, many of which are mounted on granite bases.

The signs feature the new WPI logo in brushed aluminum and the full name of the university in black on aluminum bands. The logo, which incorporates the WPI seal, and the granite bases are designed to reflect our long history of excellence as an educational institution. The brushed aluminum and the modern shape of the signs are meant to project a sense of WPI as a forward looking, innovative university.

The signs are located on the hillside along Institute, at the intersection of West Street and Institute Road, by the gates the Athletics fields at Park Avenue and Institute, by Goddard Hall at West and Salisbury Streets, and in front of Kaven Hall at Salisbury and Boynton Streets. The sign at West and Institute also serves to identity the main campus entrance. Smaller signs at the West Street and Institute Road entrances to the Quadrangle parking lot, which feature changeable welcome messages, echo the design of the larger signs.

The periphery signs are the first phase of a complete campus signage system. Additional phases will include navigation signs for those driving or walking through the campus, and new regulatory signs for the parking areas and roadways.

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Last modified: Mar 22, 2005, 15:55 EST