Krasnodar park is one of the few Russian parks that we can truly be proud of. It’s obvious which city it is located in, it was built with private funds and was a gift to the locals. The relatively small area of 20 hectares has a futuristic layout and is filled with elegant plant compositions, unusual objects and playgrounds.
Visitors can walk, run and lie on the grass. There is an open-air theater and a skate park and the fountains become skating rinks in the winter. All these wonders are wrapped into modern monumental architecture and embedded in a multi-level landscape.
The wayfinding system gently suggests to the visitors the location of all objects.
Stone signs fit well into the architecture. The soft shapes of signs and graphics make the system a great fit for a park and its plant surroundings.
The signs were carefully designed. Icons are made from stained glass and inserted into the signs. The sun reflects in the glass pictograms just as it does in park leaves.
The park was created for carefree recreation, so the vast majority of the wayfinding signs were designed as floor cubes that work “on demand.” They do not catch the eye during a casual walk but are easily seen on intersections where visitors may need a hint.
The most convenient and safe locations for cycling are marked with ground signs.
Information steles greet visitors at the entrance and provide an introduction to the park.
The park is constructed near the FC Krasnodar stadium and on game days thousands of fans walk down its alleys. For their convenience, the route to the stadium and back to the parking lot is marked with large letters.
3D maps clearly show the intricate relief of the park and demonstrate its carefully elaborated geometry.
The park is still being built and is opened in stages. While the park is not finished, a temporary map is used that is cheaper to produce. Later it will be replaced with a 3D map that will not require any modifications to the steles.
Totems are used on the playground boulevard. They are smaller than steles and have their own version of the map which has important rules of behavior integrated in the form of hints.
All signs are made of sturdy materials that fit well with the materials and colors of the park.
As already mentioned, the main icons are made of stained glass.
The graphic solution of the pictograms reflects the sunny mood of the park located in Krasnodar, a place where sharp contrasting shadows can be seen everywhere.
Key objects have their own sets of pictograms that can be used depending on the context, based on how close the sign is to the object and the color of the background.
Variable arrows allow for more precise directions on the many park paths.
Route logic was thought out for different categories of visitors. Information becomes more specific as the route progresses, providing more information about the objects.
The wayfinding system can be extended if required. This can be done using templates created for park employees along with additional documentation.
The wayfinding system makes the park even nicer and cozier. Even if the park weren’t as good as it is, the incredibly beautiful totems alone would have made your visit worthwhile.
