I was tasked with created exterior signage concepts for the 15 story NICO building in downtown Omaha, NE. The NICO building is an interesting part of the downtown skyline and can be seen prominently from the East.
I envisioned a large roof-top mounted sign for the main logo, with the sub-brand BHHC logo mounted to the side of the building below. Both would be internally lit with LED lighting and be fabricated with a combination of powder-coated aluminum and high-grade plastic.
For the west side of the building, they wanted something unique that would house the NICO icon and the BHHC logo in a way that was interesting but didn't necessarily need to be lighted. I pitched the idea of creating a kinetic sign that wouldn't need lighting but could be lit from the borders to create dramatic lighting. The board is made up of rows and columns of individually hanging aluminum squares which move independently in the wind. It creates an interesting motion and reflects existing light.
The kinetic sign was inspired by the Nelnet sign shown below.
Lastly, we wanted to inspire them to make a dramatic use of the building's facade facing the Gene Leahy Mall- something that would be eye catching and whimsical, and help them stand out against more boring buildings adjacent to them. A lighted work of art that could animate, be lit in specific colors for special occasions, or set a mood.
The setup would include fifteen 8-inch tall LED panels that would span the width of the South. The panels would be full color and essentially work together as a giant, albeit disconnected, screen. The panels would house backlighting that would be able to wash the sloped sections of exterior wall, acting to fill in the blanks to an extent, or provide contrast. All of the lighting would be controlled from a single computer and could be edited live or set to specific programs.
I created demo videos to visualize the concept using AfterEffects.
The view from street level at the Gene Leahy Mall:
This lighting concept was inspired by the Bridges Trust building in West Omaha.
