Well known for its electronic message centers and building signs, National Signs (Houston) showed its versatility with this gateway element for Seabrook’s – a town of approximately 12,000 on the Galveston Bay near Houston – waterfront district, also known as The Point. During September 2008, Hurricane Ike (whose fierce winds caused damage as far north as Ohio) decimated the town and exacted untold millions of dollars of damage. Resolute, the city rebuilt, and The Point, a redeveloped area designed to better withstand future storms, represented a key component of the community’s rebirth.
The double-faced gateway sign, which measured 30 ft. 4 in. x 47 ft. 8 in, the sign integrates well with the surrounding aluminum structures, and features a welded-aluminum banner that wraps around two tapered columns. The channel letters, internally illuminated with white, US LED modules, feature push-through, 1-in.-thick acrylic cut to form on a MultiCam 3000 CNC router. The support columns were roll-formed from aluminum (the finials comprise cast aluminum) and set in stone cases. Ober Design Works, a Houston sculptural-art shop, fabricated the frosted-blue-acrylic star.