High level prominent signage for Manchester's Citylabs

As a Signs Express (Manchester) client for over 15 years, property management experts Bruntwood, have commissioned us for many projects around the Manchester area but this commission was particularly high profile - to create an inner-city prominence at the CityLabs building. The project comprised of two high level illuminated LED signs which were installed on the face of the glass elevations and a ground level monolith sign which was also internally illuminated and powered purely by solar. CityLabs is a biomedical science centre of excellence and also a Grade 2 listed building and so the signage needed to represent the prestigious nature of the building and the organisation within it. Each of the large fascia signs span 7 mtrs long x 1 mtr high and are fixed to a bespoke design made fabricated structure which was installed over the parapet of the building. Sample brackets needed to be manufactured and tested to make sure the framework structure would sit nice and tight and be secure to the building. Each sign was manufactured in sections to allow us to take it through the building up the internal staircase to the roof and install via rope access in a safe environment. Signs Express (Manchester) coordinated the entire project to ensure the signs manufacture, electrical supply and our partners IRATA trained Industrial abseil team, all came together at the same time to meet the client’s installation deadline and deliver the overall project. Our role included:

"Our requirement for high level signage posed several challenges including finding a structural fixing solution and changing of our brand design at late notice. Signs Express was efficient and pro-active in dealing with these issues and delivered illuminated signage at Citylabs that we can be proud of and provides excellent building prominence that was previously lacking." Robert Stirling BSc (Hons) MSc, Development Surveyor - Manchester City Centre The second project at this prominent building was to provide an attractive and visual ground level signage solution which clearly identified the entrance to Citylabs without disturbing the facade of the building or its immediate area with the need for power. This was achieved by specifying a double sided 3mm aluminium free-standing monolith at 2m tall with fret cut acrylic inlays and vinyl detail to the face of the panels. The integrated solar panel means that the sign has great visibility at night and the surrounding area was preserved as it was installed by mounting into the existing paved floor utilising a steel framework. "After the building was officially opening, we required an external monolith but without disturbing the existing finished ground works. We asked Signs Express Manchester to help us manufacture and install a Solar powered monolith which they achieved and now looks great placed outside the main Entrance." Robert Stirling BSc (Hons) MSc, Development Surveyor - Manchester City Centre Signs Express Manchester centre owner Lee Eaton said, "We're extremely proud of our work as it will be highly visible for years to come in the centre of Manchester. It needed our ingenuity, experience, project management and specification skills to bring all of the elements of the project together but we showed how we're able to deliver and why we're one of the best sign companies in the country." Find out more about Signs Express (Manchester) here.