News - Page 2 of 68 - Mayer Reed

Colorful Wayfinding Leads the Way at PacSci

The newly opened courtyard at Pacific Science Center, framed by the historic 1962 World's Fair arches. Wayfinding banners with maps and directional signage are mounted at the entrance to the courtyard stairs.

After three decades behind a ticket gate, the courtyard at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center (PacSci) is open to the public. When the gates came down, a new colorful wayfinding system by Mayer/Reed went up—just in time for PacSci’s busy summer season and the bustling World Cup crowds.

(Left) A family enjoying a free water play exhibit in the courtyard beneath a wayfinding banner that reads "Water Works." (Right) Children and adults explore a hands-on exhibit in the lobby of the Pacific Science Center. A green wayfinding banner on the wall marks the entrance to the East Exhibits. A directional banner points down the stairs to the Maker & Innovation Lab.

The bilingual wayfinding system includes new maps and banners that take a subtle cue from the palette of the 1962 World’s Fair, for which Minori Yamasaki designed the iconic arches, fountains and reflecting pools. The bright, inclusive signage, scaled with young explorers in mind, makes navigation part of the experience and provides a fresh sense of welcome and discovery for the newly public courtyard and the many programs and exhibits within PacSci.

Belmont Library Reopens as Multnomah County Library’s Final Major Project

A line of people waiting to enter Belmont Library on opening day

In mid-August, Multnomah County Library celebrated the reopening of Southeast Portland’s Belmont Library, marking a special milestone as completion of the final major project funded by the 2020 Library Capital Bond. Mayer/Reed designed and implemented the new signage and wayfinding system throughout all 19 major library projects including 3 new builds, 5 renovations/expansions and 11 refreshes to create cohesive, multilingual signage throughout the library district.

Eager patrons queued up to explore the new Bora-designed space (more than double the original footprint), its colorful art installations, expanded collections and community rooms—guided by fresh wayfinding signage. Congratulations to the Belmont community and all of Multnomah County!

Volunteering in the Landscape

A group of Mayer/Reed volunteers posing in the cleaned up landscape at Lincoln High School

Community service is an important Mayer/Reed value. We believe in giving back to our community and being stewards of our environment. During a recent outing, volunteers from Mayer/Reed got to work cleaning up the landscape at Lincoln High School.

A smiling volunteer holding the weeds she removed from the planting area

As landscape architect for the school, we put great care into making sure the densely programmed urban campus included green spaces with heritage trees and native plantings. We were happy to revisit the space together and put in a little elbow grease to make sure the landscape is healthy and thriving for the upcoming school year.

Portland is Ready to Transform its Relationship to the Willamette River

Momentum is building to transform downtown Portland’s relationship with the Willamette River. At the center of the conversation is the Central City Waterfront Urban Design Study, created by Mayer/Reed for the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. The study identifies opportunities for urban design interventions and redevelopment in the downtown core, presenting a vision for the waterfront and a menu of strategies—from tactical improvements to long-term projects—to guide public investment, encourage private development, support community initiatives and spark future collaboration.

A rendering of Naito Parkway with a west side promenade that supports pedestrian traffic and street seating. — Naito Parkway reimagined with a west side pedestrian promenade that supports adjacent businesses and residences.

A rendering of Salmon Street at night at the World Trade Center with artistic lighting in the skyway and colorful ground-plane graphics in the crosswalk — Artistic lighting under the skywalks of the World Trade Center on Salmon Street, making every night feel like the Portland Winter Light Festival.

A rendering of SW Morrison Street closed to vehicular traffic for a farmers market — Historic streetscapes on SW Yamhill and Morrison that extend to the waterfront, strengthening the identity of the Yamhill Historic District and creating space for events.

The study is gaining attention across the city—it was recently featured in Portland Monthly and presented to the AIA Oregon Urban Design Panel in March. In addition, Mayer/Reed Principal Shannon Simms is working closely with Design Portland to further the conversation with local leaders on reimagining downtown Portland. Stay tuned for future events and opportunities to get involved.