Wayfinding system in Silesian Museum

The new location of the Silesian Museum is one of the biggest museum investments in Poland. The entire structure of the Silesian Museum building is located on the territory of the former Katowice coal mine. The coal mine, together with other institutions, both already located or still being set up, form a Cultural Zone. The main part of the architectural structure is a 7-storey building, from which 4 floors are below the ground level. All buildings are linked to each other below ground – so it will be really hard for the new visitor to find their way if there is no signage system.

All spaces of the Silesian Museum are full of light, spacious, modern – and for some people these factors lead to a feeling of getting lost. That’s why we had to plan the wayfinding system very carefully – the signage is diversified and consists of several types of carriers. But still it is delicate in its form and doesn’t dominate the architecture. We have chosen materials that fulfill existing infrastructure and look like a part of a larger whole. Due to the complexity of the system, we had to choose a highly legible typeface. There was no doubt that the updated version of DIN – the DIN Next LT Pro would be the best solution. Thanks to its use, our system is legible and does not cause problems in reading from different distances. We also decided to self-design specific numerals that are an excellent complement to the system.