Hencen is a collection of studios, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments and lofts that is the latest residential development by Solhem. Spectrum Sign Systems and Solhem have partnered on many projects and were excited to do it again with Hencen.
Distinct and modern design
Each one of Solhem’s developments has a unique look, and Hencen is no different. Built in Northeast Minneapolis, at the crossroads of Hennepin and Central Avenues, the building’s architecture and interior design are distinct and modern. It spans an entire city block and is uniquely shaped to fit the space.
Eye-catching
Having worked with Solhem many times, we know what they like and don’t like and used that as our starting point. Solhem wanted something that would complement the buildings architecture, color schemes and accents and meet the naming, branding and imagery guidelines.
They wanted something that would be distinct, eye-catching both day and night, and would match the architecture.
After meeting with Solhem, we conducted a site survey. We walked the grounds looking at traffic patterns of the busy intersection and looking for the best sight lines to provide maximum visibility both day and night. Due to the massiveness of the structure, we knew the sign needed to be impressive.
Impressive 20 foot sign
After reviewing their brand and imagery guidelines and the information from the site survey, our design team went to work mocking up options. After a few revisions, we landed on a design that met Solhem’s vision.
Wanting to maximize the visibility for the facade that faced both Hennepin and Central avenues, we created a massive 20-foot-tall sign. The custom sign was fabricated using Hencen’s signature green to paint the edges and trip cap of each letter. Next, we created an acrylic face in their signature green and applied a thin translucent white vinyl strip in the middle.
To make the sign stand out at night, we used both face and halo LED illumination.
Unique Installation Challenge
Each letter was individually mounted directly to the building which led to some unique installation challenges. The wall that the sign was installed on was tapered. This made installing the electrical tricky.
The project manager had to work very closely with the general contractor to make sure that the electrical was placed in exactly the right spot for each letter. They also needed to make sure that the electrical was easily accessible for future servicing of the sign.
Projecting Signs for Hennepin and Central Avenues
To take advantage of the heavy traffic on both Hennepin and Central avenues, we created two 14-foot projecting blade signs for the north and south sides of the building.
Wanting a slightly different look for these signs, they were designed using a black matte aluminum cabinet. White acrylic letters were pushed through the aluminum to give it some depth. A thin stroke of the signature green color was added to the top of the white acrylic letters.
Highlighting the front entrance
For the main entrance, we designed an 8-foot wide canopy sign with 10.5 inch high individual letters that matched the main building sign. To match the building branding, the letters used face illumination and were made from a white acrylic face overlaid with the signature green.
Unique threshold sign
Solhem wanted to landmark the building with something unique. Listening to their vision, we created 15 inch bronze letters and spaced them out on a 4-foot rail. Then, Solhem took the letter set and had it set into concrete at the main entrance.
The end result?
Hencen is a stand out at the intersection of Hennepin and Central avenues. Spectrum Sign Systems values its partnership with Solhem and enjoys the opportunity to bring a shared, creative vision to light.
