A Towering Achievement

Arthur Goldberg is executive vice president of Art Display Co. (Capitol Heights, MD).

 

28 Walker Assoc., the developers of McHenry Row, a mixed-use project located near Ft. McHenry in Baltimore, wanted to transform the property’s imposing water tower into a conspicuous landmark that would make the development a destination – much as Francis Scott Key celebrated the bravery of Baltimore’s defenders when he penned The Star Spangled Banner.

Firm representatives Mark Sapperstein and Abe Rosenthal wanted us to provide a comprehensive
sign plan for the property. Besides creating environmental graphics for the 80-plus-year-old water tower, the client tasked us to create a comprehensive sign plan that included two, main-ID pylons; wayfinding, garage and directional markers; retail sign specs and pedestrian directories. The total program encompassed 550 sq. ft. The tower signage budget totaled $175,000; the tally for the remaining onsite graphics is still to be determined.

But, first and foremost, the 123-ft.-tall tower provided an exciting opportunity for a strong visual statement. Merrick Towle Communications (Beltsville, MD) created the McHenry Row logo. We’ve worked with Merrick Towle for approximately 20 years, and they’ve always been very reliable collaborators.

After having submitted and revised designs during several meetings, the client presented the comprehensive sign plan to Baltimore’s zoning authority, which enthusiastically endorsed the plan. Also, they complimented 28 Walker Assoc. for presenting the most detailed sign program they’d ever reviewed for a mixed-use project. However, when the economic downturn hit, the project was put on hold for a year and a half.

Given the installation and maintenance challenges such a tall structure would create, we immediately recommended using LEDs to illuminate the tower’s logo and letters, as well as its supporting legs and tower.

 

Bright lights, big city
The channel letters measure 4 ft. tall and 5 in. deep; the stars span 8 ft. tall, and the stars and stripes cover 3 ft. 3.75 in. x 12 ft. 8 in. We fabricated the signs using 0.040-in. aluminum returns; we cut out the backs and letter faces on a MultiCam 3000 CNC router with an HMI 20 interface. We spot-welded the returns to the aluminum backs.

To provide additional support for the letters’ backs, we also installed Laminators Inc.’s 0.25-in.-thick Alumalite™ aluminum-composite panels. To illuminate the letters, we chose Sloan LED’s Value-Line white LED modules. We powered the modules with 12VDC and modular, 60W Sloan LED power supplies, and fabricated the faces using Sheffield Plastics’ 3/16-in.-thick Vivak® copolyester on the CNC router. We decorated the faces with 3M red and yellow, translucent vinyl.

To secure the letters, stripes and stars to the tower, we bolted them to 2 x 2-in., 0.125-in.-thick, aluminum square tubing bent to the drum’s 14 ft. 5-in. radius. We MIG-welded the tubing to conform to the drum. For easier handling, we divided the letters into three sections.

To provide accent lighting, we installed one amber Sloan LED stripe at the drum’s apex, and two more on the balcony’s handrails. We also secured two lines of red Sloan LED striping to the 2 x 2-in. square tubing, painted red, to the tower’s steel, H-beam legs. To bolster the illumination, we decorated the tubing with red Matthews acrylic-polyurethane paint. To secure the stripes to the legs, we affixed 1.25-in.-sq., steel C-clamps with self-tapping bolts and locknuts. Most importantly, we ganged the power supplies into four boxes that were installed approximately 18 ft. above grade for easier serviceability.

After having considered the potential pitfalls of bringing two cranes onsite to install the components, we had an “a-ha” moment and opted for scaffolding, which we decided would be easier and safer for the installation crew to handle during a winter installation, when ice and snow could impede work.

We transported the components to the site on our flatbed trailers and trucks. This decision improved our onsite efficiency, and the scaffold structure itself was a thing of beauty. To elevate the parts, the scaffolding company provided an electronic winch with a 500-lb. lifting capacity. The job required one and a half weeks for the electrician to run power to the legs and drum, and an additional two weeks to install.

 

Vision made real
The project required tremendous patience. During our initial meeting, the client wanted Art Display to create an animated design for the tower. I told him building codes wouldn’t allow animation; he called his attorney for confirmation.

However, after we’d spent two months developing the design, the owners asked us to price a new design with animation. They came back with an animated design with considerable wow factor. I gave an off-the-cuff, ballpark estimate of $500,000 to execute this design. They asked for a firmer estimate; researching materials and prices showed this projection to be only $30,000 off.

We spent considerable time value-engineering, and provided a menu for the clients that provided various cost scenarios that maintained the original design intent while omitting a few “bells and whistles.” Ultimately, none of our revisions came close to their budgetary scope, and they returned to our original idea.

Given the green light, our team – led by Doug Kilsheimer, president; Mohamad Natour, general manager; James Scanlon, installation foreman; and lead designer Diane Cheshmedjiev – executed the illumination of this 80-year-old structure.

When the tower was lit, the clients were thrilled with the project’s positive buzz. The tower can be seen from I-95, which stretches from Maine to Florida as one of the busiest U.S. highways. While McHenry Row’s retail and residential phases are still under construction, 28 Walker Assoc.’s wish to create an early, visual impression was realized in dramatic fashion. With stars and stripes once again shining over Baltimore’s harbor, even Francis Scott Key might have taken note.
 

Equipment and Materials
Coating: Acrylic-polyurethane paint, from Matthews Intl. (Delaware, OH), (800) 323-6593 or www.matthewspaint.com

Letters: Vivak® co-polyester sheet material (3/16 in. thick), from Sheffield Plastics (Sheffield, MA), (800) 628-5084 or www.sheffieldplastics.com; Alumalite™ ¼-in.-thick, aluminum-composite material, from Laminators Inc. (Hatfield, PA), (877) 663-4277 or www.laminatorsinc.com; Red and yellow, translucent vinyl, from 3M™ (St. Paul, MN), (888) 364-3577 or www.3mgraphics.com; 0.040-in. aluminum, available from metal-supply houses

Lighting: Red and white Value-Line LED modules and LED rope lighting, from SloanLED (Ventura, CA), (888) 747-4533 or www.sloanled.com; 60W modular, 12VDC power supplies, from SloanLED
Router: MultiCam 3000 6 x 10-ft. router with HMI 20 keypad interface, from MultiCam (Dallas), (972) 929-4070 or www.multicam.com

Misc.: MIG-welding system, aluminum square tubing, steel C-clamps, self-tapping bolts and locknuts, available from industrial- or building-supply shops

 

More About Art Display Co.
Gunther Kilsheimer founded Art Display Co. in 1947 with the mission of “bringing our clients into a creative process that results not just in a sign, but a sign of distinction.” Gunther’s son, Douglas, now runs the company.

Goldberg said, “Like any successful sign company, someone has to put the time [as in unbillable hours] into a job to serve our customers and assure the job is done right. So many members of our team – general manager Mohamad Natour, installation foreman James Scanlon, design department director Diana Cheshmedjiev and me, to name just a few – devote the talent, experience and attention to detail needed to have kept our business strong for 64 years. In business, longevity stands for integrity. We’re proud of our achievements, and of our association with [ST] for more than 50 years.”