Microsoft Food Hall
Dublin HQ
Exhibit Design Ltd, 2017
Client: KSG Foods
The food hall in Microsoft's new Dublin HQ features some of KSG's top quality food offers such as Cortado's quality coffee, Pulse, Street Kitchen and Chef's Table. Some of the food brands were created specifically for the Microsoft food hall such as Knead, an in-house bakery, Grab + Go, featuring ready-made sandwiches and salads for people on the go, Forage & Gather, offering delicious breakfast options and the Italian Quarter, creating authentic Italian cuisine.
Challenge
The interior design, architecture and layout was created by Gensler. The space was designed to have a contemporary industrial feel with exposed ceilings and unrefined material finishes such as concrete and repurposed wood. The signage needed to be contemporary, eye-catching and work well with the interior finishes.
Overview
It was equal parts challenging and exciting to conceptualise the signage and wayfinding. I had previously created, developed and implemented some of these brand designs for KSG in other work spaces and retail units. KSG wanted someone who was familiar with their food brands to develop signage that would work well in Microsoft's food hall.
My Role:
Signage Concept Design & Copywriting
Collaboration:
Exhibit Design
Project Management by Martin O'Brien
Interior Design by Gensler
Interior Build by Tricon
Production & Installation of signage by 3:Rock
Forage & Gather
Salad & Breakfast Options
Raised LED lettering, suspended from the ceiling is a stylish, modern and attention-grabbing design solution that works well for the Forage & Gather counter, the adjoining Grab + Go fridge and on the fascia above the Chef's Table counter. The typeface is Gotham Bold, a geometric sans serif which is great for display. For Forage & Gather there is particular emphasis on the ampersand. It features LED tube lighting recessed in an aluminium frame.
Knead
In-house Bakery
Simple, black lettering, suspended from the bulkhead works really well for the bright, white space of Knead, the in-house bakery. The tiled wall features a striking communication piece - raised wooden letters featuring abstract, poetic copy. The typeface used for both the logo and the typographic piece is Georgia, an elegant serif font.
Cortado
Fresh Roasted Coffee
I had previously designed the logo and brand identity for Cortado. The logo uses Prestige Elite Std. Bold, a monospaced typeface designed in the 1950s. The signage consists of a black powder coated mesh panel suspended over the coffee counter featuring face-lit LED lettering. The menu is presented on a free-standing, branded blackboard.
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Pulse
Good Food Naturally
Prior to this project, I co-designed the logo and brand identity for Pulse at Exhibit with my colleague Yvonne Keogh. The brand tagline is 'Good Food Naturally.' The menu features wholesome, delicious food made from fresh ingredients. We selected a bright green colour palette & vibrant food photography. The logo uses a hand-drawn typeface, which is unsuitable for raised lettering. I suggested a raised lightbox panel, halo-lit from behind.
Street Kitchen
Street Food Dishes
The Street Kitchen counter is located in the same section of the food hall as Pulse. For consistency, Street Kitchen's logo is also displayed on a raised lightbox panel. The menu offers a selection of fusion dishes from burritos and rice bowls to curries and salads, inspired by street food trends.
Italian Quarter
Pizza & Pasta Dishes
The Italian Quarter logotype features Headline One, a bold, rounded typeface with an unusual tail on the letter 'Q.' The wall signage consists of 3D lettering, black powder coated on the outside with an aluminium finish on the inside and featuring LED tube lighting to mimic vintage neon signs. The overall visual effect reflects a retro-modern dining experience.