IQ Quarter itself is already an excellent wayfinding solution. Three ministries, four federal agencies and several other important government structures are now under one roof. Nevertheless, the complex contains forty-one levels, five thousand employees and thirty-two elevators that run on a clever program, so finding your way around can still be a challenge. The attentive wayfinding system guides visitors from the entrance to their destination and helps civil servants meet with colleagues by indicating directions at all key points.
The entrance to the building is marked by a noticeable sign, a large logo of IQ Quarter and the name of the tower.
Entrances to the inner areas are marked more discretely.
Next to the doors is a detailed list of all organizations located in the complex.
Principles
IQ Quarter is a symbol of governance of the future. Workplaces of the primary staff are now distributed across open space areas. This is a new format for civil servants who remain more accustomed to corridors and private offices. The wayfinding system makes the transition to an open lifestyle smooth and comfortable.
At the core of the room numbering system is the logic of bullet points and lists with nested numeration, familiar to state employees. The first number is the floor and the second represents the room. The spatial building map can be easily shown on signs.
If the number has only one component, it denotes a floor.
Dual signs also include ranges of room numbers. The system allows to use a minimalistic approach to identify the location of an object in space, both vertically and horizontally.
This designation system is used at all levels. In special cases, for example in numbering filing cabinets, special icons are used in place of the floor number.
Style
The fresh graphic solution of the wayfinding system remains inconspicuous, but its general strictness has a symbolic meaning. The skyscraper brings together three ministries and the building itself is triangular in shape, which is why triangular elements are used everywhere.
Room numbers are made of stainless steel with acrylic base, matching materials for the glass and metal design of the complex.
The icons are clean, strict and visually support the serious nature of the building.
Directional signs gently guide employees and visitors. Contrasting materials are harmoniously combined.
Elevators
The main difficulty of finding your way around a skyscraper has to do with elevators. By 8 a.m. over 5,000 employees come to IQ Quarter, looking to quickly get to their floors.
Office towers use twin elevators, a system where two elevator cars operate in each shaft. Twin elevators transport people from floor to floor very quickly, but this system has a number of non-obvious difficulties.
Elevators go up from the first and second floors. However, it’s hard to tell which levels are serviced from which floor.
There are three elevator banks on each floor, each servicing its own range of floors.
There are 5–6 elevators in each bank and it’s impossible to tell which elevator is going to the floor you need.
In total there are 32 elevators and you need to decide which one to tak.
To help employees and visitors understand this complex system, there are signs and clear instructions at every step of the way from the entrance to the elevators.
Elevator maps and signs are placed on the first and second floors. They are graphically similar to the logo and clearly show which floor to go to to catch an elevator.
Every elevator bank has a large sign with a range of floors that it serves.
Each elevator serves a specific range of floors. You can go down from the 9th floor to the 7th floor directly, but in order to get from the 28th floor to the 12th you’ll need to change elevators on the 2nd floor. Elevator banks have signs with clear instructions on traveling between floors.
Easily understandable rules in elevators.
A visual reminder helps new employees quickly grasp the twin elevator system.
Terminal
The IQ Quarter has an adjacent terminal that connects it to two other skyscrapers, Metro and Moscow Central Circle stations and has exits leading to other objects in Moscow City. Signs in the terminal were designed in accordance with the new wayfinding system.
Parking
A multi-level parking is located underneath the complex. Finding your way in the monotonous space is made easier with the help of special signs: one face of the sign has parking space numbers to drivers while the other is addressed to pedestrians and indicates the way to the elevators and the location of the car on the overall map of the parking area.
Hanging signs provide directions at intersections and are intended only for motorists.
Parking spaces are marked with a pleasant green floor coating. “Double” space numbers are composed following the familiar principle: the first number represents the parking area, the second is the parking space.
Parking entrances are marked with recognizable signs.
Welcome!
artistic director
art director
designers
technical designer
illustrator
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technologists
typesetters
translator
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project managers
- The studio wishes to thank Yaroslav Voskresensky, Anna Dvurechenskaya, Svetlana Bogdanovich and Svetlana Dobrokhotova for their help with the project.
