These Designs Are Elevated
It's always exciting when a city takes the effort to recognize local talent. We always think Schenectady could use a little more art in its public spaces, so when we were asked to take part in a project doing exactly that, we didn't hesitate.
The Broadway Parking Garage in Downtown Schenectady has been stepping it up in the past few years. They've added lighting that's attention-grabbing at night, but with the amount of traffic the garage gets from tourists looking for a bite to eat before heading to the Casino or attending a show at Proctors, it could use more attention.
We were 1 of 5 local designers selected to contribute to the project lead by Jennifer Wilkerson of Aurora Design and the Schenectady County Metroplex. The task was to design a wrap for the elevator doors that is visually interesting and represents Schenectady. We came up with quite a few sketches and all of the designers met to discuss their thoughts and ideas. This kept our concepts from overlapping, and we even selected different color themes for each floor.
In 1887, Thomas Edison moved Edison Machine Works to Schenectady. The Edison Machine Works was a manufacturing company that produced dynamos, large electric motors, and components of the electrical illumination system built by Thomas A. Edison in New York City. In 1892, Schenectady also became the headquarters of the General Electric Company. Because of Schenectady's rich electrical manufacturing history and its motto "The city that lights and hauls the world." We liked the idea of introducing a lightbulb to the design.
Another thought that contributed to the design was that this was a great opportunity to welcome tourists! Because of the way the elevator and stairs are laid out, you're welcomed with the design at the base of the stairs. So, even if you aren't an elevator person, you'll still see the design before you leave the garage.
We tried out a couple different phrases but eventually landed on one that focused directly on visitors and tourists:
“May your visit be a bright one.”
Here, you can see our first rough thumbnail sketch. Once we decided to move forward with that concept, we refined the idea in the larger more detailed sketch. We then went to the computer to refine it even more, added color, and fine tuned the design!
If you find yourself in Schenectady, head over to the garage and check them out! If you take photos (which you should), don't forget to tag #schdyarts!